The eighth annual #CougsGive day of giving on April 12 saw record levels of participation among Washington State University alumni, students, and friends
In total, WSU donors made 1,419 gifts for $468,584 during Wednesday’s 24-hour event. Donations spanned 97 unique funding areas of the WSU system, with every campus and college receiving donor support on the day.
“I thank everyone who participated in the #CougsGive day of giving,” said Mike Connell, vice president of WSU Advancement and CEO of the WSU Foundation. “The Cougar family is special, and #CougsGive puts that on full display. It is inspiring to hear the stories of impact and to know the many ways WSU alumni and friends are making a tangible difference through their generous support of Washington State University.”
Participation was at an all-time high on Wednesday. The #CougsGive platform allows alumni and friends to sign up as a “Cougar Ambassador” to promote the day through peer advocacy. A record 486 constituents registered as ambassadors for the campaign and, through social media posts, peer-to-peer sharing, and personal outreach, referred 322 individual gifts during the campaign — also a record total.
The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences paced the day with 172 gifts, followed closely by the College of Veterinary Medicine, which received 164 donations. The Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Challenge was the most popular fund on the day with 106 unique gifts, while the WSU Athletics Unleash Excellence Fund was second on the list with 104 donations.
Online gifts through any WSU donation platform counted during the day, and the 1,390 gifts made specifically through the #CougsGive website were a record-high total. Donors who used the #CougsGive platform had the additional opportunity to maximize their giving through $132,225 in dollar-for-dollar matching gifts and unlockable challenges.
Days of giving have emerged across the country as popular and engaging events to display fundraising priorities, recognize donor impact, and promote giving to areas of need at higher education institutions. Since the first #CougsGive event in 2015, WSU donors have contributed more than $3.8 million in charitable gifts and generated thousands of social media posts dedicated to philanthropy.
