March Matchness – We did it! Blog

Thu. Apr. 29, 2021

When the provincial government announced that post-secondary institutions would soon have the chance to benefit from a limited-time expansion of the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative, I knew that we’d have to work hard to put the word out in time to meet the March 31^st deadline. Making the most of the funds offered to us by the province meant redirecting our energies and adapting our communications to meet the needs of this urgent campaign. Emails, letters, web updates, and a custom donation page online for donors to give to this unique opportunity were all part of our efforts during this period.

After a month and a half, I am proud to say that our community of donors went above and beyond in supporting our March Matchness campaign! In rising to the occasion, UWinnipeg donors raised over $130,000 for immediate-use scholarships and bursaries in less than two months. These funds serve as a reminder to students like myself that behind every setback lies a generous community who stand ready to pick up the slack by giving to UWinnipeg’s awards program.

Thanks to gifts made to our March Matchness stretch campaign and our loyal annual donors, the Foundation was able to raise a total of $3.2 million in student awards this past year, leveraging the full $3.2 million made available to us through the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative matching program. As a part-time staff member of the Foundation, I am overwhelmed by the kindness and enthusiasm shown by our donors throughout this campaign. Working in the contact centre and as the spokesperson for this campaign means that I am able to hear a great deal from those who give. To all those who I had the pleasure to speak to, and to all who gave this past year, I’d like to thank you on behalf of the many students you have inspired during these uncertain times.

Sincerely,

Maree Rodriguez
Sociology and Conflict Resolution student at The University of Winnipeg