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Day of Giving radio spot - March 19, 2026
Transcript
Shauna Johnson: This is West Virginia University. University alumni and friends have an opportunity to fuel advancement for future generations during the 9th. WVU Day of Giving on March 25th, an annual 24-hour fundraising effort organized by the WVU Foundation. Will Green is the foundation's senior vice president and chief development officer.
Will Green: Day of Giving is really important because it allows us to do what we have to do for the communities who we serve. When you make a gift on that day, it's not about what it does for WVU, it's about what it does for the people who we serve.
Shauna Johnson: Day of Giving comes at a time of momentum for WVU, following a fall that saw the retention rate from freshmen to sophomore years set a new record at more than 85%.
Will Green: Having Day of Giving be one specific day where we're able to rally our stakeholders internally and externally is really important because it helps us create a sense of urgency around what we're doing. Going throughout the year, we're always raising money for these priorities. This is the one day of year where we really ask all of our communities throughout WVU to come together to support things that they care about throughout the university.
Shauna Johnson: Fundraising for scholarships is among the priorities.
Will Green: Prioritizing scholarship and particularly unrestricted scholarships that allow us to help deserving students get an education at WVU is really our highest priority. A gift to our unrestricted scholarship fund, which is the WVU Success Fund, is really what we would like people to look to support if they don't have another area that they're passionate about. It helps us grow our enrollment, which is key to us being able to help more students, more people in our community.
Shauna Johnson: Nearly a year into Michael T. Benson's presidency, Green says the university is now at an inflection point.
Will Green: We have enormous opportunities and we have really ambitious goals and priorities.
Shauna Johnson: Find out more about ways to support those goals and priorities at dayofgiving.wvu.edu.
Will Green: Every place says they're special. Every place says they're unique. This is the first place I've been where I can really say, "I feel that and I believe it." What WVU means to the people of West Virginia is really special. The passion that the people of West Virginia have for WVU is really special and it's exciting to be a part of. There's a great sense of reward in raising money for the things that we do here and knowing that it means so much and it means more here than even at other places. WVU holds a special place in this state and in the communities we serve.Shauna Johnson: So let's go. Follow our stories at wvutoday.wvu.edu.
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