About Us

Dr. Melissa Shivers, Ohio State's Vice President of Student Life, speaking at our 2020 Opening Ceremony.

Strategic Plan

Overview of Plan and Process

With the guidance from the Office of Student Life at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation, the members of BuckeyeThon developed a strategic plan to champion tactical action points in order to continue supporting and increasing the organization’s growth. The members of BuckeyeThon’s Leadership Team are charged with overseeing the implementation and further development of the plan to ensure BuckeyeThon sustains its growth and impact.

This plan was created in conjunction with the roughly 150 members of BuckeyeThon. A strategic planning ad hoc committee, consisting of members from both the General Body and Leadership Team, discussed the overall direction of BuckeyeThon’s objectives and reviewed any controversial topics surrounding them. Following the committee’s work, members of the Leadership Team reviewed and further discussed the Strategic Plan and the vision it lays out for the future.

After a defined plan was composed, a working session was conducted to review the key points in the plan with each of the twelve committees in BuckeyeThon. By establishing a culture of strategic planning within the organization, BuckeyeThon is able to continue its growth and sustainability, even with the annual turnover of its student leaders.

Champion Our Families

Championing Our Families is focused on celebrating the lives of the BuckeyeThon Families and all families treated at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. To do so, BuckeyeThon aspires to continuously support our BuckeyeThon Families, establish a family sustainability program, and connect and align BuckeyeThon’s families with our mission and purpose.

Support Our Hospital

Supporting Our Hospital is the fundraising pillar of our organization. To achieve our fundraising commitment to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, BuckeyeThon intends to develop a comprehensive fundraising plan to maximize our fundraising for the Hematology, Oncology and Blood & Marrow Transplant Unit, form a sustainable and long-term campaign that garners greater community support, enhance our Youth Philanthropy engagement, and construct a multi-year stewardship plan that encompasses annual stewardship opportunities for all of BuckeyeThon’s donors.

Engage Our Campus Community

Engaging Our Campus Community is the essential component of BuckeyeThon to instill the spirit of philanthropy across the campus community. To instill this commitment to giving back, BuckeyeThon strives to educate campus about pediatric cancer and blood disorders for all efforts being made at Nationwide Children’s Hospital; engage a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff in furthering our mission; implement a comprehensive brand identity and messaging program; educate students about student philanthropy; and develop a program to bolster collaboration and philanthropic giving within other student organizations.

Enrich Our Members' Lives

Enriching Our Members’ Lives is the pillar of BuckeyeThon that allows the organization to continue to grow. Without the valuable asset of our members, BuckeyeThon would not be possible. To ensure BuckeyeThon has members who can achieve our mission, we plan to develop and execute an effective new member experience, provide ongoing membership development opportunities, develop a strong position-specific training and continued education program, and cultivate an effective and diverse environment that champions collaboration, dialogue, and growth.

Continuously Develop Our Internal Operations

Continuously Developing Our Internal Operations is the foundation that sets BuckeyeThon’s operations up for success. To ensure our operations are strong, BuckeyeThon will create a sustainable and comprehensive financial and data tracking program to be used for strategic tracking, analysis, and planning; streamline and document internal and affiliate processes; develop stewardship plans for our members, alumni, fundraisers, donors, partners, and supporters; and create an effective and sustainable transition process.

20 Year Vision Moving Forward

BuckeyeThon’s 20 year vision is one in which every student who walks onto Ohio State’s campus will immediately feel a sense of connection and purpose of giving back to his or her community. The outlet The Ohio State University will provide to incoming classes of students is engagement with BuckeyeThon throughout the entire calendar year. It is our hope that students realize that working to give back may not be easy, but that it is worth their time and effort because it is their civic responsibility to pay it forward to whatever their personal cause may be. BuckeyeThon wishes that students also see direct involvement with the organization as a dutiful and impactful opportunity.

In the community, BuckeyeThon envisions every corporate institution that is affiliated with The Ohio State University is also interested in supporting BuckeyeThon in some capacity. BuckeyeThon will continue to create a method to engage every member of the Columbus community. We hope that all high school administrations across the city are also seeking opportunities for their students to be engaged with BuckeyeThon. It is our vision that BuckeyeThon is known across the nation as the top fundraising and engaging student philanthropy organization in the country.