Crowdfunding is small gifts making a big impact, and UW has been leveraging this powerful platform since 2015. Through the collective generosity of donors, UW’s crowdfunding initiatives continue to transform individual gifts into community-wide impact, one campaign at a time. 

Crowdfunding harnesses the collective power of many small donations to fund specific projects. Unlike traditional fundraising that often relies on substantial contributions from a limited number of donors, crowdfunding democratizes philanthropy by enabling anyone to contribute toward causes they care about.  

In particular, it allows student organizations to raise money for their activities. It also allows them to connect with their supporters, alumni, family, and friends, and those loyal supporters come back year after year to support the organizations they care about. 

Two great examples of the power of crowdfunding this past year are the campaigns of the Every Poke Nourished food pantry and the Western Thunder Marching Band’s historic invitation to the Rose Bowl Parade.  

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Every Poke Nourished

The Food Security crowdfunding campaign exemplifies how small gifts can transform a student’s experience at UW. Approximately 41 percent of all UW students experience some level of food insecurity, and the Every Poke Nourished campaign raised critical funds to support these programs—the Pokes Food Share Pantry, over 15 food share cabinets across campus, the Every Poke Nourished Meal Swipe Sharing Program, a good food recovery program, and work with ACRES Student Farm.  

“We rely heavily on the support of donors in order to help meet our students’ basic needs,” says Jess Dooley, food security coordinator, Dean of Students Office. “Being able to work with the UW Foundation on our crowdfunding campaign each year has been invaluable, and we were thrilled with the reach and the donations we received this past year. We truly would not be able to do the work that we do without the funds we receive through this campaign.” 

This campaign raised $20,155 from 117 donors. Donors were able to take advantage of a $5,000 match offered by an anonymous donor as well as $1,000 in additional donor-provided matching funds. Forty-five percent of donors were alums, and 39 percent were faculty or staff. 

The impact of this program cannot be understated. For example, in the 2024 academic year, the main pantry alone received 5,781 visits and gave out 37,847 pounds of food and hygiene items.

Western Thunder Marching Band

The Western Thunder Marching Band crowdfunding campaign—Let’s Band Together—demonstrated that crowdfunding can give students once-in-a-lifetime experiences. UW was honored to receive a prestigious invitation to march in the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade, but the costs for students—including airfare, accommodation, and transportation for 235 members—presented a significant financial challenge. Enter crowdfunding, which also included an ambitious Giving Day campaign.   

“The crowdfunding campaign was a wonderful way to start our Rose Parade fundraising efforts,” says Joe Carver, director of the Western Thunder Marching Band. “I was blown away by everyone’s generosity and commitment to providing an awesome experience for the UW students. Thank you to our foundation staff and our supporters for their continued love of the Western Thunder Marching Band.”  

This campaign raised a whopping $115,872 from 278 donors, who hailed from across the United States. A $50,000 matching fund provided by the McMurry Foundation allowed donors to double their impact. Twenty-seven percent of donors were alums, and 14 percent were friends of UW. 

The funds allowed the Western Thunder Marching Band to proudly represent Wyoming on one of the nation’s most visible stages. Band members marched the renowned 5.5-mile parade route before over 30 million viewers playing “The World Needs More Cowboys,” “Should Have Been a Cowboy,” and “Come On, Wyoming.”  In addition to marching in the parade, they spent a day at Disneyland and performed at Band Fest, a showcase for all 22 bands that marched in the parade.