Some 1,081 people donated to the the annual Wright to Give fundraiser, which started on Oct. 1, the university’s Founders Day. Although university officials were hoping to raise a little more money than previous years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted so many students, this year’s donations exceeded their expectations.
“We could not be more thrilled with the results of this year’s Wright Day to Give,” said Amy Jones, director of annual giving. “Our students have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so we were hoping to have more donors and raise more money this year. But the generosity of our Wright State family far exceeded our wildest dreams. We are grateful to each and every donor who stepped up to help our students.”
The Wright to Give fundraiser launched on Oct. 1, 2017, the university’s 50th anniversary, and the number of donors has increased annually since then. However, this year’s response was overwhelming, Jones said in a news release.
The goal was to get 600 people to contribute, however, that number nearly doubled, and they hauled in $205,600. In comparison, 622 people contributed $64,430 last year.
Jones and her team were creative this year, offering new challenges and matches to encourage donors to support a variety of colleges, emergency funds, scholarships and initiatives, the institution said. Alumni contributions ― regardless of their designation ― were counted toward the college they graduated from as part of the College Alumni College. The Raj Soin College of Business had the highest level of participation from alumni, earning an additional $1,500 in bonus funds, university officials said.
They also offered incentives for college emergency funds, as the College of Liberal Arts Emergency Fund had the most donor participation. The college received an additional $1,500 in bonus funds to support students needing assistance with food, housing, lost wages, mental health and various financial constraints, according to the release.
In all, the College of Liberal Arts Emergency received $6,100 in contributions. The funds will help up to 15 students who need financial support, said Nick Warrington, COLA’s director of events and community engagement.
“Most recently, students have found themselves unemployed due to COVID-19, which has impacted their ability to pay their bills, purchase food and update their technology to take classes online this semester,” he said.
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