Pitt Day of Giving returns on Tuesday, February 27th, and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs is looking forward to celebrating once again with the larger university community. Now in its eighth year, Pitt Day of Giving (PDoG) is a campus-wide fundraising event established to bring together alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends, and families from around the world to give back to Pitt. The 2023 edition raised more than two million dollars for the University of Pittsburgh’s many schools and programs, the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs among them.
The GSPIA Internship Resource Fund is just one example of how donor gifts have been used in the past, with funds in 2023 enabling students to take their education beyond the Oakland campus. The fund supported MPIA student Ryan Druffner as he took part in the DC Semester last fall, as well as MID student Erin Zehr who travelled to Kenya to conduct research on community-managed water systems.
“The fact that so many internships are unpaid can be a stumbling block and hurdle for so many students,” said Zehr while discussing her experience. “I’m extremely grateful that this experience was made possible for me because of the funding provided by donors.”
Director of Development Nicole Madden is excited for this year’s event. "Pitt Day of Giving is a special day because it demonstrates the strength and commitment of our GSPIA community. Each year, the support of our alumni and friends helps us achieve our mission of preparing the world’s future public service leaders. I look forward to seeing our community come together once again to make an impact," she shared.
For more on the event and its impact on students, visit the PDoG website and stay tuned to our social media channels for updates.