A Gift That Goes Further: Creating Opportunity Through ‘A Day of Giving’
Kent Bracken (right) and Daniel Diem (left) believe every gift can make a difference. Through matching gifts and their support of A Day of Giving, the couple hopes to encourage others to join them in creating opportunities for Utah State students.
For Kent Bracken and Daniel Diem, supporting Utah State University is something they have embraced together, grounded in a simple belief: Education has the power to change a life, and its impact rarely stops with one person.
A scholarship can help a student stay in school. A small gift can make it possible for a student to attend a conference, complete a research project or participate more fully in the college experience. And an education can prepare someone to build a career, contribute to a community and make a difference long after graduation.
Scholarships can help remove financial barriers while giving students greater freedom to focus on their education and take advantage of the full Utah State experience. This year’s A Day of Giving on Sept. 24 will focus on expanding scholarship opportunities for current and future Aggies.
That ripple effect is why Bracken and Diem have made supporting students a priority — and why they have used matching gifts for Utah State’s A Day of Giving to encourage others to join them.
“Every gift is important, and every gift makes an impact,” Diem said. “Whether it is financial or giving your time, it makes a difference.”
An Aggie Connection That Keeps Growing
Bracken ’76 earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Utah State before earning an MBA from Northwestern University. His career in information technology and project management took him around the world, including extended assignments in Singapore, Thailand and India.
His connection to Utah State, however, has remained strong. He has served on advisory boards for the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business and currently serves on the USU Foundation Board. Through those roles, he and Diem have gained a much broader view of the university — and the students it serves.
“We started to meet more students and learn about majors that I never had contact with when I was in school,” Bracken said. “You see students who are first-generation or may not have had the encouragement or financial support. Hearing their stories, you understand the long-term impact education can make.”
For Diem, whose undergraduate degree is from Michigan State University, and has an MBA from Northwestern University, the connection to Utah State began through his longtime partner, Bracken. Over the years, as the couple became increasingly involved with the university, Utah State became Diem’s “third” university.
“I’ve been an Aggie for a very long time now,” Diem said.
Today, the couple supports programs throughout Utah State, including student-focused initiatives, the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, the Huntsman School of Business, the Honors Program and USU Statewide. Their involvement has also introduced them to needs they might otherwise never have encountered.
“There are areas we’re surprised we didn’t know about,” Diem said. “It gives us a chance to learn more about them and see the needs.”
When a Little Help Changes Everything
Both understand that the difference between struggling and thriving in college can come down to an amount that might seem relatively small.
Bracken remembers students who needed help traveling to a conference or completing a project. He has also seen how an unexpected expense — such as a broken-down vehicle — can threaten a student’s ability to remain focused on school.
“It all comes down to helping students be able to focus on their schoolwork,” Bracken said. “Even if it is $100 for a music student who wants to attend a conference or a student who needs a small amount to fund a research project, it can make a difference.”
Diem knows firsthand what scholarship support can mean. Scholarships funded his undergraduate education.
“I had people who believed in me financially,” Diem said.
That experience shaped how he views philanthropy today. Financial support, he said, can do more than help a student earn a degree. It can give students the freedom to participate in the experiences that make college transformative.
“There’s a difference between barely getting by and getting your degree and being able to have a fuller experience during college,” Diem said. “Scholarships can give students those extra layers of the college experience. Anything we can do to help is what we should be doing. It helps the student, and it helps society as a whole.”
The Multiplier Effect
That philosophy is also behind Bracken and Diem’s enthusiasm for matching gifts.
Bracken first saw their power early in his career when employers offered to match charitable contributions If he gave, his employer matched it.The opportunity provided an additional incentive to participate and immediately increased the impact of his gift.
Today, he and Diem use that same idea to encourage others.
“When folks don’t necessarily have a lot of resources, they can see that their impact is doubled through a matching gift,” Diem said. “A hundred dollars can become $200. It makes a difference.”
For them, a match is also an invitation. It tells another donor: We believe this matters enough to invest in it, and we hope you will join us.
“We’re willing to put our efforts behind something if you’re willing to meet us halfway,” Diem said.
A Day of Giving makes those connections possible across Utah State. Donors can explore opportunities throughout the university and support the students, programs or areas that matter most to them. This year’s A Day of Giving on September 24 will place a particular emphasis on student scholarships. Last year, 768 donors made 1,193 gifts totaling $405,116.
For Bracken and Diem, however, the value of participating goes beyond a single day or fundraising total.
Investing in What Comes Next
At a time when the role and value of higher education are being debated across the country, Bracken believes its broader purpose remains essential.
College should prepare people for careers, but it should also expose them to new ideas, disciplines, experiences and people. That breadth, he said, helps develop individuals who are prepared to participate thoughtfully in their communities and contribute to something larger than themselves.
That idea comes back to the individual student.
Bracken and Diem’s involvement with Utah State has allowed them to meet students, hear their stories and see what can happen when someone receives the support needed to keep moving forward. They have learned that meaningful philanthropy does not always require a transformational gift. Sometimes it is a scholarship. Sometimes it is $100 toward a conference. Sometimes it is simply joining hundreds of other Aggies on one day and deciding to help.
And when those individual acts come together, their impact multiplies.
“It really comes back to this,” Diem said. “How do we help an individual make a better life?”
Create Your Aggie Impact
Bracken and Diem’s story is a reminder that creating an impact doesn’t begin with the size of a gift. It begins with choosing to help.
On September 24, Aggies everywhere will have that opportunity during Utah State University’s A Day of Giving. This year, the focus is on student scholarships — helping remove financial barriers and giving more students the opportunity to make the most of their Utah State experience.
Every gift, no matter the size, can help a student keep moving forward. And when Aggies come together, those individual gifts become something much bigger: an investment in students who will carry what they learn at Utah State into their careers, communities and the world.
Create Your Aggie Impact on A Day of Giving. Together, we can open doors for the next generation of Aggies — and help shape what comes next.
Contact
Jonathan Young
Director, Annual Fund
(435) 797-0449
jonathan.young@usu.edu