The 2023 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo is on the horizon, and there are numerous ways you can support the NIRSA Foundation’s Annual Giving Campaign while you’re in Pittsburgh!
Make sure to visit the NIRSA Foundation
The NIRSA Foundation Table will be set up next to conference registration and we would be delighted if you’d stop by! Speak with a Foundation Board member and learn how you can get involved with future NIRSA Foundation committees and programs.
The Foundation has been supporting NIRSA members for over 30 years by funding research grants that support and inform the collegiate recreation field and providing students and professionals with scholarships so they can participate in professional development and educational opportunities—like the 100+ scholarship recipients attending the NIRSA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh. Additionally, the NIRSA Foundation funds the Association’s priority and strategic initiatives.
This year’s Annual Giving Campaign goal is $50,000. Gifts can be made at the NIRSA Foundation Table, on the NIRSA website, or by utilizing the Foundation’s donation QR code. Giving has never been easier—make a one-time gift or utilize the option to spread your gift out through monthly giving.
NIRSA Foundation Table Hours
Wednesday, March 22
- 5:00pm–8:30pm
Thursday, March 23
- 7:00am–7:00pm
- The Foundation Table will be closed during the Opening General Session
Friday, March 24
- 8:00am– 5:00pm
Saturday, March 25
- 8:30am– 5:30pm
Sunday, March 26
- 9:00am– 2:00pm
Apparel Sale
This long-time favorite tradition of the NIRSA Annual Conference is a great way to support the Foundation and take home some swag. Here’s how you can help:
Donate campus apparel from your college or university for the Foundation to sell. Best sellers include sweatshirts, performance shirts, jackets, hoodies, shorts, caps, and water bottles. New for 2023: The Foundation welcomes the donation of youth sizes!
In addition to campus recreation apparel, reach out to your colleagues in the athletic department and campus store for donations! The more apparel we have in our pop-up store, the more money we can raise for the Foundation!
Please bring apparel donations to the NIRSA Foundation Table on Concourse A as soon as you arrive in Pittsburgh so we can get it priced, tagged, and displayed!
What else can you do? Buy some apparel! Come shop at the NIRSA Foundation pop-up apparel store! Cash and credit cards will both be accepted.
T-Shirt Competition
This popular competition is a NIRSA Annual Conference highlight! Join the fun and promote your institution’s recreation department and programs by entering items that showcase your graphic design and event promotion savvy. Entries will be judged on originality, content, graphic design, and overall visual appeal.
The design contest is a philanthropic endeavor that provides friendly competition between NIRSA institutions and serves as an exchange of creative promotion ideas. Ribbons are awarded for first, second, and third places in each category. Best in Show is awarded to an overall winning entry. All entries are displayed at the NIRSA Foundation Table near conference registration.
All entries must have been designed and printed between January 2022 and March 2023.
Categories include Fitness & Leisure, Humorous, Intramurals, One-Color Screen, Outdoor, Special Events, Sport Clubs, and Staff. New categories for 2023: Camps & Clinics, JDEI Emphasis.
T-shirts must be submitted with an entry form at the NIRSA Foundation Table no later than 5:00pm on Friday, March 24. Winners will be announced at the Foundation Table (and on social media) at 3:30pm on Saturday, March 25.
On behalf of the staff and board members of the NIRSA Foundation, we look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh!
Becky Sowers is currently NIRSA's Director of Philanthropy; you can email her at becky.sowers@nirsa.org.
