A record breaking $4,103,408 was raised this year in donations from 6,292 donors on the University of Wyoming’s annual Giving Day; a 40.9% increase from the $2,421,333 that was raised in 2021. With the donor goal this year being set to 3,800 donors, UW surpassed that expectation by 65%, according to the University of Wyoming Foundation.
Many student organizations and colleges participate in giving day each year. This year, the top earning student organizations were; the Rodeo Team, raising $44,789 with 638 donors, the Debate/Forensics Excellence Fund, raising $67,263 with 607 donors, and the Western Thunder Marching Band – Hat Club, raising $57,509 with 341 donors.
The College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources raised an outstanding $1,823,794 this year from 334 donors, followed by the College of Business, who raised $328,021 from 377 donors. The College of Arts and Sciences took the donor lead this year with 1,300 donors who gave $236,357 to them.
“I think we are really leading the Giving Day world,” said Suweksha Shrestha, Giving Day coordinator at the University of Wyoming Foundation, “At a lot of other universities each year, you see a decrease in the number of donors who give. But, at the University of Wyoming, giving day is the only time where you see the number of donors increase.”
Giving Day is an annual UW event that took place this year from October 19-20, noon to noon, in conjunction with Homecoming. Donors from all around the world are encouraged to donate funds to student organizations and programs on campus of their choice, to help students involved in these areas thrive.
“We encourage all of the campus partners and student organizations to take part in Giving Day,” said Shrestha, “because they are not only fundraising for their unit, but they’re also building a pipeline of donors.”
Beginning in 2015, Giving Day at UW has been essential in funding organizations around campus. Each year the University breaks donor and donation records, and hopes to continue seeing this trend in coming years.
This year, donors from all across the globe donated to various programs on campus. UW received gifts from 5,891 donors in the United States, 15 donors from Canada, 11 donors from the United Kingdom, 3 donors from Germany, 2 donors from Italy, 2 donors from Australia, and 1 donor from Norway.
“I am really excited to be partnering with more student groups this year,” said Clancee Rea, the director of Giving day, “UW Giving Day is about connecting donors with the opportunity to support an area of campus that they are the most passionate about supporting. All funds raised go directly back to the student group, unit, department, or college that is doing the fundraising.”
