Giving Day Advocates help build awareness and excitement about the day through real-time posts and outreach. You can share Milton’s communications or create your own. Use social media, email, texts or phone calls to reach out to your personal Milton network. Use whichever platform is most comfortable for you. Time Commitment Expected: Whatever you can give on March 6!
Be creative! Have fun! Spread the word!
Specific Advocate Goals:
- Help build awareness about Giving Day and the Milton Fund
- Inspire increased giving to Milton on March 6
- Share information with your peers
- Conduct outreach to your personal network
- Amplify Milton’s social media presence by sharing Milton’s official social media content
- Have fun and get people excited about giving
Milton Academy Giving Day Basics
What: The Milton community will come together to support Milton by making a gift on March 6 in the hopes of unlocking a $100K challenge, as well as cause-based and affiliation-based microchallenges.
When: Wednesday, March 6, midnight–11:59 p.m. EST
Where: On campus and around the globe via give.milton.edu/giving-day-2024
Who: The entire Milton community
How: Support Milton by making a gift on March 6
Goals & Challenge Summary
The goal: 1,000 unique donors
The stakes: An overall Giving Day Challenge of $100K given by Milton Academy Board President Claire Hughes Johnson ’90 P ’24 ’27. In addition, donors can maximize their impact by exploring microchallenges categorized by Milton affiliation or cause. Donors can also issue their own challenges or matches as Giving Day Advocates in advance of or on March 6 via give.milton.edu/giving-day-2024.
Microchallenges
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice Microchallenge
When 75 Milton community members support the Milton Fund’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice (DEIJ) designation on March 6, our generous anonymous challengers will give an additional $5K to support this critical work. And if we can get to 150 supporters, our challengers will give a total of $10K to DEIJ!
Financial Aid Microchallenge
When 100 Milton community members support the Milton Fund’s Financial Aid designation on March 6, Charlie and Kristin Cain P ’25 ’28 will give an additional $5K to this critical resource. And if we can get to 200 supporters, our challengers will give a total of $10K to Financial Aid!
Student Experience Microchallenge
When 60 Milton community members support the Milton Fund’s Student Experience designation on March 6, our generous anonymous challenger from the Class of 1993 will give $5K to the Milton Fund. And if we can get to 120 supporters, our challenger will give a total of $10K to the Milton Fund!
Boarding Community Microchallenge
Any gift made on March 6 to the Boarding Community microchallenge will be matched up to $150 per gift for a total of $25K to the Milton Fund by a generous anonymous challenger. Make your gift in honor of your current or former house, or that of your child who is a boarder, by selecting a house from the drop-down menu on the giving form.
China & Hong Kong Regional Microchallenge
When 30 Milton community members residing in China or Hong Kong make a gift to Milton on March 6, Ivan ’92 and Angie Ting P ’22 ’25 will give $12.5K to the Milton Fund. And if we can get to 60 donors on March 6, our challengers will give a total of $25K to the Milton Fund!
Faculty & Staff Microchallenge (all current Milton faculty and staff members)
When 75 current faculty and staff make a gift to Milton on March 6, our challengers Laura Appell-Warren ’78 and John Warren P ’04 ’07 will give $7.5K to the Milton Fund. And if we can get to 150 faculty and staff donors on March 6, our challengers will give a total of $15K to the Milton Fund!
Parents Microchallenge (all current Milton parents)
When 125 current Milton parents make a gift to Milton on March 6, our generous anonymous challengers will give $12.5K to the Milton Fund. And if we can get to 250 parent donors on March 6, our challengers will give a total of $25K to the Milton Fund!
Seniors (all Class of 2024 students)
As part of the Senior Gift Challenge, all gifts made by seniors to the Milton Fund on Giving Day will count towards the Class of 2024’s 55% participation goal. As voted on by the class, if the seniors meet their goal by the last day of classes, two anonymous young alumni sibling challengers will give $10K to the Milton Fund.
Recurring Gift Challenge
When 25 donors make a recurring gift to the Milton Fund on March 6, our challenger, Steve Kim ’98 will give $2.5K to the Milton Fund. And if 50 donors make a recurring gift on March 6, our challenger will give a total of $5K to the Milton Fund!
What is the Milton Fund?
A Milton education encourages our students to lead the way with the support and guidance of our school’s exceptional faculty and staff. The Milton Fund is the primary way for alumni, parents, and friends to support our school. Flexible annual support through the Milton Fund empowers Milton to shape future leaders and engaged citizens through a commitment to Milton’s independent K-12 education.
How You Can Make Milton’s Giving Day a Success
Make a Gift
Please make a gift to the Milton Fund or to a Milton Fund designation of your choice on March 6 between midnight and 11:59 p.m. EST. Thank you!
Stay informed
Follow progress on the $100K Challenge and microchallenges on the Giving Day platform throughout the day at giving.www.milton.edu/giving-day-2024.
Tap into your networks and spread the word on social media
If you are already active on social media, use the GiveCampus Platform to post about Milton’s Giving Day on Facebook and Twitter. When you post using the GiveCampus platform it is easily tracked on the site’s social feed. You can also post on Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, or any social media platform of your choice. Feel free to use suggested social media text or make it your own, but please be sure to use Milton’s Giving Day hashtag, #miltongives! On Instagram, you’ll find custom Giving Day stickers that you can add to your stories!
Do you want to track how many people in your network have made a gift in response to your outreach? Be sure to use your trackable links that are available once you log in to your GiveCampus Advocates page.
Finally, please like and share Giving Day social media posts from Milton Academy accounts, groups, and fellow community members.
Email, text, and call your classmates, fellow parents, friends, and more!
Use and personalize the email templates provided, or feel free to write your own messages. Please remember to use the same custom link acquired for social media in your emails too, as this will help you track your overall progress.
Check-in on the website through the day on March 6 to follow the Challenge progress and then share updates with your network.
Communication Samples
Texting:
Best Practices:
- Keep it simple—remember to get to the point quickly
- Keep in mind the time of day for your recipient—stay on their good side and don’t send them a middle-of-the-night text because you are in different time zones
- Always include your custom Giving Day Advocate link
- If you don’t think the person will have your number, make sure you introduce yourself
SAMPLE 1:
Hi <name>, this is <advocate name> I am a Milton Giving Day Advocate. Remember today is our Giving Day, and we need XX more donors before midnight EST to reach our goal and unlock the $100K challenge! Make your gift before time runs out at (use your Advocate Link)
SAMPLE 2 End of Day:
Hi <name>, There are only a few hours left of Giving Day. Milton needs your help! We need just XX more donors to reach our goal and unlock the $100K challenge. Please give before time runs out at (use your Advocate Link)
Sample 3 Microchallenge:
Hi < name>. This is <advocate name>, and I’m a Milton Giving Day Advocate. Please support <insert cause name> with a gift today and help unlock the $10K challenge because it’s so important for Milton students! Make your gift before midnight EST today at (use your Advocate Link)
Email:
Best Practices:
- Always personalize your emails so the person knows it’s not a mass email—for instance, if you know someone will want to know about a specific microchallenge, or they are qualified for one as a parent or young alum, mention that in the email
- Keep it brief and be sure there is an ask in the opening and closing paragraph
- Include an update on the challenges and progress of the day
- Always include your custom Giving Day Advocate link
SAMPLE:
Subject Line: Milton’s Giving Day is on right now!
Hi <Name>,
I hope you are well! Since you love Milton like I do, I wanted to let you know that Milton Giving Day is happening RIGHT NOW!
Giving Day is an opportunity for the entire Milton community to come together to support programs we value across the campus. I hope you will join me and make a gift to Milton today at <include your personal Link>!
So far, XX donors already made a gift today and it’s only XX a.m./p.m. We just need XX more gifts <insert personal hyperlink> to unlock the $100K Giving Day Challenge! I personally gave to ensure the students and faculty have innovative training and classes they need.
In addition to the $100K challenge there are three designation microchallenges, <note if they are eligible for affiliation microchallenge> that will allow you to multiply your gift’s impact even further!
Time’s running out, please make your gift <insert personal hyperlink> before midnight EST today!
Social Media:
Best Practices:
For each social media post you make, please be sure to do the following:
- Be sure you follow the official Milton social media accounts
- Tag an official Milton social media account in your posts (see list below)
- Add your custom Giving Day Advocate link
- Use hashtag #miltongives
- Incorporate a picture or video if you can. Pictures can be found in the Images section below
- Add the custom Giving Day stickers and your custom Giving Day Advocate link to your stories on Instagram
Alumni Channels:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/miltonacademygrads, www.facebook.com/MiltonAcademy1798
X: https://x.com/milton_alumni
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miltonacademygrads/
Official Milton Accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiltonAcademy1798
X: @milton_academy, @MA_Athletics
Instagram: @miltonacademy, @miltonacademy_ls (Lower School), @miltonacademy_ms (Middle School), @ma_athletics
Social Media Images and Posts
Leading up to and on March 6, please help spread the word by sharing the images provided below on your social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
From your desktop, right-click on the image and click ‘Save Image As’ to save the image to your computer. From your handheld device, press the image until ‘Share’ appears. From there you can save to your device or share through any social media platform you’re signed in with.
Social Media Images
Final Tips & Information
- Remember that everyone you are contacting has some relationship with Milton, as a parent, alum or friend of the school, so acknowledge this relationship in your outreach.
- Time is of the essence! Make sure you emphasize the urgency of the 24-hour period of giving.
- We are focused on gifts for the Milton Fund, but if someone would like to support a special designation, we are happy they are participating in something that feels good to them and it will still count toward the $100K Giving Day Challenge.
- Continue to check the Milton Giving Day website throughout the day for updates. If any questions come up, please do not hesitate to reach out to Alana McGrath who is available to assist any time!
Questions?
We’re here to help and make this as easy and fun as possible for you! Contact Alana McGrath in the Development Department.
Visit our Giving Day Headquarters for the latest on Giving Day 2024!
