Previous records for donations were crushed during Washburn’s annual day of giving on Feb. 1, 2024. Many departments participated in the event raising money to fund various campus projects, technological upgrades and student scholarships.

In celebration of Washburn’s 159th birthday, numerous records were not only broken but shattered during the annual Day of Giving event Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024.

Over $450,000 were raised across the board, topping last year’s record by over $100,000. The highest number of donations and gifts came from projects like the School of Business Dean’s fund, Jim Concannon Deanship and SOL Summer Public Interest Stipends. Whether it’s giving $1,000 or $1, every donation is impactful and a generous contribution to a bigger picture.

In recent years, Day of Giving has become an increasingly popular event across the Washburn community as participation continues to grow each year. Universities across the nation have days of philanthropy dedicated to giving back, as Gemima Joseph, the director of annual giving, shared that the Alumni Association shares that same vision for Washburn.

“We want to celebrate Washburn and make it really special for people,” Joseph said. “There are over 150 years of history, and with all that time, it’s important to commemorate how Washburn has been impactful in the community and in the nation.”

In February 2023, Washburn’s Day of Giving raised over $350,000 from more than 1,000 gifts. With new campus projects and enrollment on the rise, Day of Giving is an opportunity for the Washburn community to help with funding for new programs, student scholarships and more.

“This means that the need for these things across the board has to be spread a lot thinner, which encourages people to participate in things like this,” Joseph said. “There are so many students and professors that are bringing in projects that have a set timeline, so having resources available at this time is important and it is encouraging for the students to know that Washburn is a very supportive community.”

Various departments across Washburn have become top contenders for the most donations made. Benjamin Reed, assistant professor of biology, has helped the biology department climb high in the rankings with the popularity of the “Adopt a Turtle” program.

“I started the Adopt a Turtle program, where if someone were to donate $100, they would get a certificate that has a picture of the turtle, its name and other fun facts about the turtle,” Reed said. ”If people were to wonder, ‘hey where is my turtle?” I can help update them as to where the last time we saw it or help track the turtle.”

Reed’s program specifically focuses on two turtle species that are native to Kansas: the ornate box turtle and three-toed box turtle. The money raised helps fund getting better ecology research equipment and transmitters to track the turtles.

“I thought maybe this could be a good idea because there aren’t a lot of clear options to support local conservation, so that’s a big draw for people to this project,” Reed said. “I think we have adopted about 40-50 turtles through the program and people have continued to donate, which has made it pretty successful.”

The Washburn School of Business has also had a fair share of successes from Day of Giving.
The significant focuses include allocating funds for renovations of Henderson hall, campus events, student course expenses and scholarships.

“Day of Giving was more about identifying those six or seven projects and then hopefully donors would fall in love with one or more of them and maybe channel some money towards them,” said David Sollars, dean of the School of Business. “One of our main projects was to try to cover the cost for student leadership certificates for the principles of management course, which is required for business students here at Washburn.”

Sollars explained the cost of a leadership certificate is around $50 per student and, the department had been searching for donors that were willing to help cover those costs for students.

“We had multiple donors wanting to help and we have been so successful that the last few years we haven’t had to raise money for it,” Sollars said.

The Washburn Alumni Association encourages the Washburn community to keep the momentum for the future, as this year’s Day of Giving event was evidently the most successful to date.

“Each year, I just hope to do better than the last,” Joseph said. “I hope on both ends the students are able to receive during this day and feel the warmth of the community, and I want the donors to know they are pouring money into something that is worthwhile.”

The next annual Day of Giving will be Feb. 6, 2025, as Washburn turns 160 years old! To learn more about Washburn’s Day of Giving, visit Washburn University Day of Giving. To check out the adopt a turtle program, visit Weebly to donate.

Edited by Stuti Khadka and Jeremy Ford