August 18, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University celebrated another record-breaking year of fund raising as donors and friends gave $17.7 million in annual cash gifts in 2007-08.
According to Tom Hiles, WKU’s vice president for Institutional Advancement, WKU also set a record with President’s Circle membership, with 2,372 donors contributing $1,000 or more to the institution.
“Private giving has become a dependable core component of WKU’s financial profile,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “It is critical to the university’s continuing progress. We are exceedingly grateful to all who have made this growth possible.”
In addition, Hiles said WKU won the 2008 Kentucky Challenge for young alumni giving participation for the fourth straight year and has taken the title during all four years of the competition. “The Kentucky Challenge is a year-long friendly competition that compares annual giving participation from alumni who graduated in the last decade from public universities in the Commonwealth,” he said.
Other participants were: Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.
“In this challenging economic environment, we are pleased that our cash donations have continued to grow,” Hiles said. “We are grateful that so many of our alumni and friends continue to invest in President Ransdell’s vision to be a leading American university with international reach.”
Annual Private Gift Support
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