Generations of alumni and friends will come together on March 26 as West Virginia University holds its eighth Day of Giving, an annual 24-hour fundraising effort organized by the WVU Foundation.
Scholarship support again will serve as one of the top priorities on the day, expanding opportunities for students across the University to find their purpose and achieve their dreams.
“This Day of Giving is an opportunity to turn optimism into reality,” President Gordon Gee said. “Your donations will support scholarships for our students, faculty research that will improve lives, campus innovations that elevate the student experience, as well as buoy the partnerships West Virginia University has created to invest in a better future.”
During President Gee’s current tenure, scholarships and access for students have remained a key focus, beginning with a $50 million “Dream First” scholarship initiative that exceeded its goal. Recently, the University also announced WVU Guarantee — a new program that will provide funding to cover the costs of tuition and University fees for qualifying incoming and current West Virginia students beginning this fall.
On March 26, alumni and friends will have the chance to expand access and scholarship opportunities for students even further by making gifts of $5 and up. All areas of the University will benefit, including student programs, groundbreaking research, infrastructure improvements, athletics and more.
Over 36,000 gifts have been made on WVU Day of Giving since its launch in 2017, raising more than $96 million.
The Foundation and University will again use email and social media to spread the word to alumni and supporters about Day of Giving. Donors can easily make gifts online March 26 at dayofgiving.wvu.edu.
Alumni and friends wishing to help create excitement on the day can register to become a WVU Day of Giving ambassador in support of their favorite area of WVU. The top five registered ambassadors who inspire the most gifts through their unique URL will receive a WVU swag box, while the top three will earn an extra $1,000 for their unit or program of choice.
“We are grateful to the entire WVU community each year for helping us reach new heights and provide critical funding for our students, researchers, health care and more,” said Kristen Shipp, WVU Foundation executive director of annual giving. “Day of Giving is an exciting opportunity for all WVU alumni and friends to join together and make a lasting difference. We hope you will consider making a gift and become an ambassador to help spread the word.”
Hourly and all-day challenges will offer exciting opportunities to secure additional funds based on participation, dollar amount raised, social media engagement and more. Participants will also be able to stay updated on challenge winners, live leaderboards and the donor wall.
All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University and its affiliated entities.
