Supporters of West Virginia University made a record number of gifts and contributed more than $22 million during the University’s ninth Day of Giving Wednesday (March 25).
Over 24 hours, alumni and friends provided more than 11,000 gifts to make an impact across the University system, including WVU Health Sciences, WVU Medicine, WVU Athletics, and regional campuses in Keyser and Beckley.
For the first time since 2019, every state in the country was represented on the donor map.
The online fundraising event organized by the WVU Foundation benefits academic programs, discovery, health care, service and life-changing experiences to improve lives in West Virginia and beyond. This year’s Day of Giving focused on unrestricted scholarship support to offer flexibility in meeting scholarship needs for students on their educational journeys.
It was the first Day of Giving for WVU President Michael T. Benson, who also encouraged supporters to contribute seed funding for innovative projects in key areas as part of his Strategic Compass.
“We are so thankful for the many alumni and supporters who came together on Day of Giving to support WVU,” President Benson said. “As Mountaineers, we lead with pride, and these results are evidence of the generosity, buy in, and bold spirit that drive our mission to serve West Virginia, while providing our students the life-changing experiences that prepare them to serve others and lead in the Mountain State and around the world.”
The number of gifts made Wednesday is the most on record since the Day of Giving was first launched in 2017.
Among the larger gifts received on Day of Giving: a $3 million gift from Syd Peng to the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, and a $2 million gift from Hamid and Tina Moghadam that benefits the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.
Hourly challenges and participation gifts at the college/school/unit level created a WVU-spirited environment on social media throughout the day.
In total, WVU Day of Giving has raised over $164 million from more than 58,000 gifts in nine years.