Message from the AD Contributing Series - Camden Stockton

Zips Nation,

As we head into the conclusion of our spring sports season and begin preparing for 2024-25, we thought it would be interesting for our fans to get some deep dive insights from vital areas across the athletic department. In January, we featured Marketing and Communications with Associate Athletic Director, Marketing – Seth McFall. In February, we gained insight from Sr. Associate AD & SWA, Jackie Wallgren on Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) and the Transfer Portal. This month (April), we feature Fundraising and Day of Giving with Sr. Associate AD for Development, Camden Stockton.

As stated earlier, each month through June 2024, we'll be taking a page out of NFL writer extraordinaire Peter King's book and feature a series of guest columns highlighting happenings in key leadership areas including Marketing and Communications (January 2024), Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) and Transfer Portal (February 2024), Fundraising and Day of Giving (April 2024), Capital Projects and Completed Facility Projects (May 2024) and we'll round out with Budget and Financial Operations (June 2024).

If you have specific questions about any of these critical functions feel free to send them our way via email or X direct message and I'll pass them along as our team prepares their updates for the Zips community. I'm excited to continue the series with an update on Fundraising and Day of Giving.

AD Guthrie

Hello Fellow Zips! The Zips Athletic Club has been hard at work over the last year implementing strategies and events to help build connection, awareness, and ultimately increase philanthropic giving to our student-athletes.

Most recently, the 2024 Day of Giving welcomed an outpouring of support from Zips fans that resulted in more than $182,000 in cash gifts. This achievement surpassed the previous year's contributions by more than $70,000 and showcased the growing enthusiasm, unwavering commitment, and generosity of our Zips community.

Notably, the event attracted 777 gifts which reflected an increase of more than 100 gifts from the preceding year. This surge in participation underscores the growing momentum and enthusiasm surrounding the Zips Athletic Club's mission to support student-athletes at the University of Akron.

Earlier this academic year, the Zips Athletic Club introduced its inaugural major giving society - the Summit Circle. This elite society aims to cultivate a culture of philanthropy and recognize pivotal leaders within the Akron Athletics community. Membership in the Summit Circle is reserved for individuals who pledge multi-year commitments totaling $25,000 or more and demonstrate a profound dedication to advancing Akron Athletics.

Since its inception, the Summit Circle has gained significant momentum with membership steadily growing. With a target of welcoming 100 Summit Circle members by July 2025, Akron Athletics is pleased to announce that it has surpassed the halfway mark which reflects promising progress towards our goals.

This winter, Akron Athletics continued to enhance its facilities with the opening of the Wentz Financial Group Basketball Player Development Center. Made possible through generous donations, this state-of-the-art facility serves as a hub for both men's and women's basketball and is equipped with advanced technology and a replica playing surface to support player development.

As Akron Athletics and the Zips Athletic Club remain dedicated to excellence both on and off the field, these initiatives underscore the collective spirit of generosity, support, and commitment that defines the Akron Athletics community.

For more information about the Zips Athletic Club, Summit Circle, or other initiatives please visit www.zipsathleticclub.com or gozips.com/invest.

The University of Akron Athletics

Message from the AD Contributing Series - Camden Stockton

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