On October 26, Columbians will come together for the fifth annual Columbia Giving Day, a 24-hour fundraiser in which alumni, staff, faculty, students, and friends of the University give back to the Schools and programs that changed their lives, support Columbia students, and take on global issues—like climate change and social justice—through causes and crowdfunding opportunities. The event also features hourly challenges, with matching funds from the University Trustees.
Ahead of the important day, The Low Down compiled five things you can do now to prepare for Giving Day. Get ready to change lives that change the world!
1. Text CGD2016 to 444999 to become a Giving Day Insider and receive exclusive updates leading up to the day, right to your cell phone. 
2. Explore crowdfunding opportunities and support a project that you care about. Faculty, researchers, and students are developing solutions to the greatest challenges of our time. Crowdfunding at Columbia gives you the chance to choose projects that are most meaningful to you and your family and provide direct financial support to those efforts. Learn more.
3. Become a ColumbiaSOCIAL media ambassador to share exclusive Giving Day content with your social networks. As an Ambassador, you'll receive curated posts to share, and can browse through streams of content that interest you, including Arts and Culture, Science, and Technology and Innovation. A dedicated Giving Day stream gives you real-time glimpse at what others at Columbia are saying about their decision to give back—and you can share their posts directly from the platform.
4. Download free emojis (C-moji)—including Giving Day stickers—in the Apple Store or Google Play—and text them to your fellow Columbians to help build excitement!
5. Follow the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. View and re-share the latest Giving Day content leading up to the day (like the awesome video below created by artist Jennifer Fan '18CC!) and follow along on October 26 for campus live streams, hourly challenge winner announcements, the best photos from across the University, and more.
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For more information about Columbia Giving Day, visit the website.