Inaugural digital Giving Day boosts marine conservation

The appeal was the University’s first online Giving Day, which took place on 11 June 2025. Over 36 hours, money was raised through digital channels including a dedicated website to support the Centre’s school outreach work. 

Funds raised from the appeal are now enabling schools to visit the Centre and learn about the importance of ocean conservation. During a day visit, students can engage with live sea creatures in the on-site aquarium, explore interactive exhibits and snorkel inside New Zealand’s oldest marine reserve, Goat Island. The aim is to inspire a new generation to care for our country’s unique marine environment. 

“Education is the magic word!” says scientist and philanthropist Dr Beate Schuler, who backed Giving Day 2025 with a generous matched gift to encourage support from others. “Our children will become aware of the damages that can be done by pollution, overfishing and imbalanced bio-equilibriums. With that knowledge, they will hopefully avoid the same mistakes previous generations have made and act more in harmony with nature. Carefulness and caring will become part of their DNA.”

The Centre’s marine research efforts were also supported through Giving Day.

“Because our seas are so much endangered, we need to act,” says Beate. “Giving Day is an opportunity to reach out to many people, to make them aware of our needs and to support this research.”

The inaugural digital Giving Day resulted in the largest number of donations received in response to one of the University’s appeals. Altogether 331 donors, many of whom are new donors to the University, gave a total of $73,399. Giving Day is part of the University’s appeals programme, which encompasses a range of initiatives including refugee and alumni scholarships and a unique dolphin tagging project to protect the endemic Hector’s and Māui dolphins. The programme highlights the significant, real-world impact of many people giving to the same cause, with gifts of every size making a difference.

Across the 2025 appeals programme, $579,000 was given by 2,350 donors – a significant increase from 2024, which saw $376,000 given by 1,067 donors. This growth reflects the University’s efforts to ensure it is easy for people to support areas of interest to them through innovative initiatives such as Giving Day and the Phone Appeal. In 2025, the Phone Appeal was successfully rejuvenated after a two-year break and led to nearly 400 gifts.