Monthly donations add up to large investments
Hugh Hibbert (BA 2007 UTSC) believes in giving back. “It’s important to fund our institutions of higher learning so they can continue to thrive,” he says. “Giving back supports students in developing their curiosity and creating opportunities to be creative and express themselves the way they want to.”
That sense of responsibility towards the next generation is largely why Hibbert became a monthly donor. He knows firsthand what it feels like to flourish in post-secondary education. Graduating from the sociology and city studies programs, he spent his extracurricular time playing sports, where he developed close bonds with many of his fellow athletically inclined peers—friendships that continue to this day. Today, he works as Manager, Customer Orchestration and Decisioning at Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Hibbert’s love of sports inspired him to ensure that future intramural athletes have the same opportunities he had as a student. From 2016 until the pandemic shut things down, Hibbert volunteered as a soccer coach for the tri-campus and United University leagues. More recently, he mentored a student through UTSC’s Partners in Leadership program.
Ultimately, Hibbert wants his fellow alumni to recognize how easy it is to give back through small monthly amounts and that those donations have a lasting impact. “Monthly giving programs are important and show support for future generations,” he says.
Samantha Barr, senior development officer at UTSC, says that monthly donors are often surprised to hear how little it takes to make a difference. A gift of $10 per month, for instance, adds up over time. And those donations make a direct impact. “Gifts of all sizes support students in a variety of ways. Examples include the Food Centre, which provides students with fresh, nutritional food; the laptop program, which gives students the tools they need to succeed in their studies; scholarships and bursaries, so students can focus on their work instead of their finances; as well as travel funds, which support students studying abroad,” she says.