Valparaiso University’s fundraising efforts have gotten a little squirrely in recent weeks.
Folks who donate $18.59 or more toward student scholarships get squirrel naming rights and a certificate to prove it. The starting amount is a nod to the year the university was founded; the campaign started Oct. 8.
“Our goal for this project was to engage or re-engage younger alumni and/or donors in a fun way. The goal was to have a little fun and connect people back to Valpo, while also raising money for student scholarships,” Erica Kerkes, the university’s associate director of Donor and Alumni Communications; Eryn Leonhard, assistant director of Alumni and Donor Digital Media; and Liz Arizpe, assistant vice president for Advancement Operations said in emails to the Post-Tribune about the fundraiser.
Kerkes and Leonhard attended a higher education advancement cohort and found out that another university was doing a “name a squirrel” campaign and saw good success and engagement, so they squirreled the idea away for later.
“This project is unlike anything we have done before; it’s a little silly and playful, but so much fun. We are seeing this catch on on social media and across campus,” they said via email. “We have heard fun stories of staff and alumni with connections to squirrel culture that we never knew about before.”
The goal of the fundraiser is for 135 squirrels to receive names; by Friday, the campaign had hit 48% of its goal, with 66 squirrels getting names so far. The campaign had raised $1,393.94 in scholarship funds by Friday morning.
The fundraiser’s website takes on a cheeky tone, rife with the expected puns and the appropriate level of goofiness.
“Each day, our beloved Valpo squirrels scamper across campus without a name to call their own. But you can change that!” the website announces.
Drop-downs offer more information about how the donations work, including the screening of the names.
“Since we care about the dignity of our campus critters, all squirrel names will be reviewed by our team of dedicated squirrel enthusiasts,” the site notes. “We reserve the right to decline any name that’s inappropriate, unkind, or otherwise un-squirrel-like.”
A scroll under “Meet the Squirrels” offers a peek at some of the names picked so far, including Nutorious B.I.G., Twiggy Smalls and Squirrely Temple.
The naming rights, the site said, are symbolic, though the donation to the university is tax-deductible. Donors receive a downloadable certificate within five days.
The site also encourages donors to celebrate their squirrels on the appropriate days throughout the year, including National Squirrel Appreciation Day on Jan. 21; Arbor Day on the last Friday in April, because trees mean acorns for squirrels; National Nut Day on Oct. 22; and Squirrel Awareness Month the entire month of October.
And for anyone who misses the chance to name a squirrel this time around, the squirrels will likely be back.
“The squirrels have caught on so well with our audience, so we hope to bring them back during other times of the year, like holidays or our annual Valpo Day celebration,” officials said in their email.