Case Study: The University of Rhode Island achieves a record‑breaking $1.19M Day of Giving to support students impacted by COVID‑19 with Anthology Encompass

URI’s Day of Giving rises to the challenge amid COVID-19 pandemic

The University of Rhode Island faced the challenge of moving its annual Day of Giving entirely online after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted plans for an on‑campus April event. To reimagine the fundraiser in a compressed two‑month timeline, The University of Rhode Island worked with Anthology and its engagement and fundraising platform, Encompass, to centralize outreach, build a landing page, and equip volunteers and campus teams with social toolkits for a fully digital campaign.

Anthology’s Encompass platform enabled URI to use leaderboards, tiered challenges, patterned content blocks, and preselected giving forms to keep donors engaged and make giving seamless; the effort raised $1,194,293 from more than 2,500 gifts. The campaign prioritized two emergency funds — the RhodyNow Scholarship and the Students First Fund — which together received $251,251 to directly support students affected by the pandemic, demonstrating Anthology’s measurable impact on fundraising and student relief.

The University of Rhode Island

Leslie Lowenstein

Chief Financial Officer, Web and Print Editor