West Virginia University alumni, friends and students are invited to come together March 9 in support of the University’s fifth Day of Giving.
The 24-hour online fundraising event, organized by the WVU Foundation, has raised over $30 million in its first four years combined. The funds have benefited many top priorities, including life-changing scholarships, groundbreaking research and lasting improvements to campus.
Last year’s WVU Day of Giving set records as over 5,000 gifts were made across the University system, totaling $11.9 million. The number of gifts made and total raised have increased each year.
This year’s theme, “Go above. Go beyond,” coincides with the University’s official tagline, “Mountaineers go first.” It also emphasizes the critical importance of private support as WVU and its students continue to face the economic challenges presented by the pandemic.
Day of Giving serves as a convenient opportunity for Mountaineer Nation to contribute to the purposeful transformation being done at WVU, focused on strengthening higher education, improving health care and bettering lives in West Virginia and beyond.
"No doubt the needs are great during these turbulent times, but so is the promise of brighter days ahead,” President Gordon Gee said. “This Day of Giving is an opportunity to turn optimism into reality. 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. Together we will create the opportunity for transformative change within our University and our state.”
The Foundation and University will use email and social media to spread the word to alumni and supporters about the special day of giving. An online donation page has been set up at dayofgiving.wvu.edu as an easy way for people to make a gift online.
Supporters can also sign up to be a WVU Day of Giving ambassador, helping to create excitement before and during the campaign.
“There are many ways to get involved. One of the most important is by serving as an ambassador,” said Kristen Shipp, WVU Foundation Executive Director of Annual Giving. “Our ambassadors are volunteers who help spread the word and encourage others to give. You'll see and hear more about WVU Day of Giving in the coming weeks. I invite all of our alumni, friends and students to join us in the excitement of this important day for the entire WVU family.”
Donors will have many opportunities March 9 to increase the impact of their contributions through a number of hourly fundraising challenges.
WVU Day of Giving is a University-wide event, including the main campus in Morgantown, WVU Health Sciences, WVU Medicine and the divisional campuses, including Potomac State College in Keyser and WVU Institute of Technology in Beckley.
All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
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CONTACT: Bill Nevin
Associate Vice President for Communications
WVU Foundation
304-284-4056; wnevin@wvuf.org
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.