Statement on COVID-19 and Scarlet & Give Back Day

Dear Grinnellians,

The coronavirus COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States and around the globe. With the situation changing so rapidly, we continue to focus our efforts to prevent further cases or slow the transmission of the virus. The College is doing all it can to mitigate health and safety risks to our community, including a transition to distance learning for students and remote work for many College employees. First and foremost, our top priority is to protect the health and safety of our campus and residential Grinnell communities. 

With this in mind, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Scarlet & Give Back Day (S&GBD), originally slated for April 7-8, 2020.  For us, the timing just doesn’t feel right given the growing uncertainty and anxiety caused by the pandemic.  We acknowledge and understand that for many, thinking about making a gift right now, might be the furthest thing from your mind.

Some of you received the Scarlet & Give Back Day pre-event mailer that allowed you to give in advance of the event and participate in the donor challenge. We are sharing that our challenge donors have agreed to still honor the dollar-for-dollar match for your gifts, because they were so moved by your willingness to participate.

We often hear from Grinnell alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends, that they look forward to S&GBD because it is a day to celebrate each other and our community of Grinnellians.  We encourage you to still use April 7-8 to reach out and connect with each other over email, texts, social media and/or the phone.  Now is a time to be there for each other and embrace the Grinnell Community. 

If you really had your sights set on making a gift on S&GBD, we encourage you to consider a gift to the newly created Supporting Our Students Fund (SOS Fund).  Donations to the SOS Fund are being used to directly support student expenses incurred by the disruption the pandemic is causing.   Gifts received will be used to help cover expenses such as students traveling home, shipping or storage costs for clothes and other belongings, books, supplies and equipment needed to support distance learning, holistic health care and any other unanticipated expenses incurred as a result of the pandemic.

We are very proud of how our community has come together to support each other in recent weeks.  Please continue to lean on each other to help you through this unprecedented time.  Thank you for your continued support of students, our campus, and each other.  Please stay safe and healthy! 

Warm regards,

Mae Parker
Director of Annual Giving
annualgiving@grinnell.edu