The NIRSA 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.
More than 60 scholarship recipients will attend the 2024 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo happening in Phoenix this spring. Additionally, the NIRSA Foundation will help fund the Association’s priority and strategic initiatives in the coming year. All of this work is made possible through donations from our members, and our Annual Conference fundraising campaign is the time of year when we connect with the majority of our supporters, so please consider making a gift to the NIRSA Foundation during the Annual Conference.
In a nutshell…
From golfing to shopping, there are several ways you can support the NIRSA Foundation’s Annual Conference Fundraising Campaign while you’re in Phoenix for NIRSA 2024.
The fundraising goal for the 2024 conference is $50,000. Donations can be made at the NIRSA Foundation table, or on the NIRSA website. Supporting the NIRSA Foundation has never been easier, with attendees having the options of making a one-time gift or becoming a member of the Cornerstone Society through monthly giving.
Once the conference registration opens, the NIRSA Foundation table will be buzzing. So, make it a point to stop by to say hello. While you’re there, be sure to browse the items in the apparel sale, enter one or two of your department’s creative t-shirts into the t-shirt competition, and connect with a member of the NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors or a NIRSA staff member and learn how you can get involved in supporting the future of campus recreation by volunteering for NIRSA Foundation Committees and Work Teams..
Oh! And don’t forget to collect your NIRSA Foundation ribbons! If you are a donor or a scholarship recipient, we have a special badge ribbon with your name on it. Stop by and see us to add it to your collection of badge flair.
NIRSA Foundation happenings on-site during Phoenix 2024
NIRSA Foundation golf tournament
Golfers are invited to register for the NIRSA Foundation Golf Tournament, happening on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Taking place at the nearby Papago Golf Course, event transportation will leave at 7:00am from the Phoenix Convention Center and return golfers to the Phoenix Convention Center upon the conclusion of the tournament.
Registration includes transportation, a quick-bite breakfast, and a BBQ lunch. There is still time to sign up as an individual player or to participate as a tournament sponsor. For more information visit nirsa.org/golf.
Apparel sale
This tradition is a long-time favorite of NIRSA Annual Conference attendees and it’s a great way to support the NIRSA Foundation while also acquiring some great swag for yourself or your colleagues who are holding down the fort back home.
You can support the NIRSA Foundation by donating surplus campus apparel from your college or university to the NIRSA Foundation for inclusion in its apparel sale. Conference attendees are especially seeking sweatshirts, performance shirts, jackets, hoodies, shorts, caps, and water bottles. We welcome all sizes, but the most popular sizes are medium, large, and extra-large. We also invite donations of youth sizes!
In addition to campus recreation apparel, reach out to your colleagues in your school’s athletic department and campus store for donations! The more apparel that is available for purchase in our pop-up store, the more money will be raised for the future of campus recreation!
Bring your apparel donations to the NIRSA Foundation table as soon as registration opens and we’ll work to get it priced, tagged, and displayed!
What else can you do? Shop and buy from the NIRSA Foundation pop-up apparel store! Cash and credit cards will be accepted.
T-Shirt competition
This friendly 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 marketing savvy. Entries will be judged on originality, content, graphic design, and overall visual appeal.
Ribbons are awarded for first, second, and third place in each category. Best in Show is awarded to one entry. All winning entries will be displayed at the NIRSA Foundation Table. Entries must have been designed and printed between January 2023 and April 2024.
Categories include Fitness & Leisure; Intramurals; One-Color Screen; Outdoor; Special Events; Sport Clubs’ Camps & Clinics; JDEI Emphasis’ and Staff.
T-shirts must be submitted with an entry form at the NIRSA Foundation Table no later than NOON on Friday, April 19. Winners will be announced at the Foundation Table (and on social media) Saturday morning.
On behalf of the NIRSA Foundation Staff and the NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors, we look forward to seeing you in Phoenix!
- For more information, contact NIRSA Foundation Coordinator, Jillian McNaughton.
Becky Sowers is currently NIRSA's Director of Philanthropy; you can email her at becky.sowers@nirsa.org.
