To Better The World.

When Rutgers launched its Big Ideas initiative in late 2018, the team behind it couldn’t have possibly imagined the relevance it would carry into 2020 and 2021. What started as a challenge to faculty and staff to “Bring us your most imaginative, disruptive, and visionary proposals for bold initiatives that will positively transform our community and change the world,” quickly turned into a movement in its own right. More than 200 proposals submitted. 40 teams selected. 12 final Big Ideas. 1 school working with its best and brightest to make the world a better place, solving the critical issues of our time.

From day one, our mission was to give each Big Idea its time in the spotlight. To showcase each project in a way that was as big and bold as the idea it represented. To do so in a manner that the project champions would not only feel proud of, but part of. All during a pandemic.

We knew film was going to be the best and only option. We also knew coordinating logistics for 12 videos was going to require some organizational prowess. Fortunately, our Project Managers are rockstars. So, over the course of four months, our team conducted more than forty interviews with project stakeholders, champions, volunteers, and even some beneficiaries. We spent three weeks traveling across the Garden State, filming at all four of Rutgers’ Campus Led Units, safely navigating COVID-19 and holiday break in the process. The result? 8 terabytes of footage. 24 film deliverables. And a couple feet of snow.

Ambitious and forward-thinking, Rutgers Big Ideas are impressive bodies of work led by passionate people working to make significant impact on our future. Tackling some of our most prominent problems is no easy feat, but with a collection of scientists and activists committed and driven to make change regionally, nationally, and around the world, Rutgers positions itself as a beacon and is lighting the way.

Rutgers Foundation is always working in three areas: Build donor gratitude. Educating donors on the purpose and impact of giving. And hopefully to inspire more giving. Developing a dialogue was essential as we reengaged with Rutgers alumni. We began the conversation by explaining the impact that students were making each day. Next was to educate them about what endowment can impact, and how it is essential for the purpose of funding a student's experience. Last was to inspire. Driven by some amazing words delivered by the late Toni Morrison during a commencement speech at Rutgers, we put forth a challenge to the Rutgers nation to never stop.

Rutgers Big Ideas Launched virtually to the most attended event in foundation history. Beyond turnout, donors were ecstatic with their feedback for the content and the event. The Big Ideas were a success. As for fundraising, though they began with the lowest endowment in the Big10 in 2019, Rutgers experienced the largest endowment fund growth from 2020-2021 in an entire decade.