OHIO Giving Day 2023

At Ohio University, there might be one animal* that's more famous than Rufus himself: our iconic College Green squirrels. Our squirrels can be seen living their best lives under the Elms and Oaks of College Green, chittering and throwing the occasional acorn at passers-by. And tragically, these squirrels have had to live without the majesty of individual names. That ends today!

For the first time ever, you now have the opportunity to name an OHIO squirrel. Make a gift of $18.04 or more to the Fund for OHIO on Giving Day 2023, (April 18) and let us know what you’d like to name your squirrel, and you’ll get a handsome digital certificate complete with your Sciurus carolinensis' new moniker. This professionally designed certificate is suitable for printing, framing and/or gifting. (Psst: College acceptance or graduation gift, anyone?)

You can name one of these charming, bushy-tailed creatures after yourself, your friends, your family or about anything you choose: Perhaps a favorite professor, your favorite residence hall, or even your third-favorite member of the now-defunct boy band One Direction. And yes, you can name it Squirrely McSquirrelface, but frankly, we think you can do better.   The possibilities are endless – almost. Because we respect the dignity of our campus cohabitants, we will vet each squirrel name and reserve the right to reject any name that we feel is inappropriate to our beloved acorn-loving friends. If a name is rejected, your gift will not be refunded, so choose wisely, squirrel squad!

Please note: While the impact of your gift is real, this naming opportunity is only symbolic. With your $18.04+ gift, we hereby vest in you the power to point at any squirrel that issues forth from any tree on College Green and call it by whatever name you choose. We will not refute your claim. Just don’t attempt to shake their paw — they’re named, not tamed.

Note: Only gifts transacted through givingday.ohio.edu are eligible for power hour incentives, matches, and challenges.