Alumni challenge makes a big difference on Giving Day
The University at Buffalo’s Giving Day – a 24-hour fundraising event held April 29 and 30 – raised more than $25,000 for the law school thanks to a generous challenge gift made by alumni couple, Frank Ewing ’12 and Leah (Nuchereno) Ewing ’11.
Challenge gifts make all the difference because they build on personal connections. This year, the Ewings inspired their friends and colleagues to be a part of the Giving Day initiative by offering to match up to $5,000 in contributions to the law school. And within just a handful of hours, that challenge was met.
The Ewings are dedicated supporters of the law school. Frank Ewing is a member of the UB Law Alumni Association’s board of directors and has hired several UB law graduates to work in the Buffalo office of his compliance firm, AML RightSource.
Giving Day may be over, but your support is always appreciated. To make a donation to the law school, visit our Giving webpage.
“We want to thank Frank and Leah for their commitment to the law school,” says Emilie Rosenbluth, the law school’s associate director of advancement, “and for helping us not just on Giving Day but throughout the year.”
“We’re very passionate about the school and what it’s meant to us both personally and professionally” Frank Ewing says, “and we think it’s important to give back. We were hopeful that message would resonate with other younger alumni and are extremely pleased our contribution led to a terrific result.”
The school made potential donors aware of the matching gift through social media and email blasts, as well as Giving Day text message reminders – and the Ewings alerted their own social circles as well.
“It was a very creative effort by the law school,” Ewing says. “It really shows the power of social media, especially in this environment where it’s hard to physically be with people or host events where you can raise money.”
Sixty-five alumni and friends of the law school donated on Giving Day. The Ewings’ matching gift was unrestricted, meaning the school can use it for its most pressing needs.
Ewing’s company, AML RightSource, is based in Cleveland but has a significant and growing presence in Buffalo’s Larkin District and will soon be moving into Seneca One Tower. It serves financial institutions and other organizations with data analytics work that identifies suspicious financial activity, to combat money laundering and other financial crimes. Ewing, the firm’s CEO, says it now employs about 2,000 people across 11 countries.