The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is celebrating Giving Tuesday and the holiday season with the launch of the Holiday Wish Campaign, a first of its kind fundraising campaign where donors become more intimately involved with the university by meeting the specific needs of academic departments.

“For the first time this year, you are going to see a Holiday Wish List campaign that allows academic departments to identify specific items for donor support,” Chancellor Christina Drale said. “This will bring in a lot of new donors and help departments connect with them in a more intimate way.”

UA Little Rock department chairs have identified their department’s most urgent needs and have completed lists of items that will strengthen their academic programs. Donors will be able to choose from any of the projects, and alumni will receive wish lists from their departments through email and social media posts.

“This holiday campaign will help educate our alumni and supporters on how they can best help meet the needs of our students,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “We hope this will be the start of an annual tradition in which our alumni and donors bring some holiday cheer to campus as they help us meet our campus community’s needs during the holiday season.”

UA Little Rock donors will have the power to connect with the university and its students in an innovative way by selecting a specific cause that is close to their heart. Donors will have the choice to support academic needs like providing beds for the simulation lab in the School of Nursing, wireless microphone kits for the School of Mass Communication, and lab equipment for biology and chemistry students.

“I hope you can find it in your heart to give to a department in need of equipment to better the education of students,” said Samantha Wiley, director of annual giving. “The Holiday Wish List is the perfect outlet for departments to ask for gifts to develop a more strategic education for students. These gifts can be anything from technology items, subscriptions, or materials to secure a safe environment during COVID-19 for students to continue to learn hands-on.”

Donors can also support projects that give students professional experience for their future careers, including stipends for public service fellowships at the William H. Bowen School of law, internships in the Communication Skill Center, and classroom startup stipends for education students.

The UA Little Rock Holiday Wish Campaign will take place from Dec. 1-31. Those who would like to donate can visit the UA Little Rock Holiday Wish Campaign webpage for more information on how they can support UA Little Rock students this holiday season.

“Thank you in advance to the donors who will help to support our academic units through a Wish List gift,” said Dr. Ann Bain, executive vice chancellor and provost. “Your generosity will make a positive difference.”