Case Study: Purdue University achieves record $28.2M single-day fundraising with Hootsuite

How Purdue University used Hootsuite to help raise $28.2M in a single day

Purdue University, a nearly 150-year-old land‑grant institution, runs an annual Day of Giving to increase participation and fund scholarships, tuition freezes, and other student supports. Facing the challenge of surpassing the previous year’s results and expanding international support, the university set out to beat its 2016 totals and make the Day of Giving a record-breaking event.

Using Hootsuite’s social listening and organized streams, Purdue ran targeted activities—like a Snapchat scavenger hunt, 33 hourly challenges, and hashtag monitoring (#IGave, #PurdueDayofGiving)—and sent 218 personalized thank-you videos while repurposing 9,000 pieces of user-generated content. The campaign raised $28.2 million in a single day (up $10M from 2016), drove an 87% increase in international donations, reached donors in 56 countries, and generated millions of impressions and campaign views.

Purdue University

Steve Schlenk

Associate Director of Philanthropic Communications