President Caboni

Fellow Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends,

It is with great pleasure that I share with you WKU’s recent recognition by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for persistent fundraising success. CASE is the global association for professionals in advancement—alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and advancement services—who share the goal of championing education to transform lives and society. Our University was awarded the 2019 CASE Educational Fundraising Award, an honor given each year to exceptional fundraising programs at educational institutions in the United States. Among a select group of fewer than 100 colleges and universities receiving awards this year, WKU was recognized for Overall Performance based on the judges’ blind analysis of three years of fundraising data from programs showing solid growth, breadth in the base of support and other indications of maturity. You will recall that last year we celebrated the largest dollar totals raised in the history of WKU, and we are on pace for our second best year. This CASE award places us in the company of highly notable institutions such as Harvard, UCLA, UNC Chapel Hill, the University of Florida and others. A full list of recipients can be viewed here: 2019 Awards.

WKU is fortunate to have an incredibly effective philanthropic enterprise made up of individuals who consistently deliver the vision of our institution to alumni and friends. We value genuine connections and real relationships with the entire WKU community; this is who we are as a Hilltopper family. Receiving similar awards in 2007, 2008 and 2011, this is our fourth national fundraising award – speaking volumes to our fundraising team’s consistency and strength.

I’d like to thank our team for their “exemplary fundraising programs and activities” and demonstration of “the highest levels of professionalism and best practice,” as noted by CASE, and all those alumni and friends of WKU who continue to make important decisions to contribute financially. I am grateful for their combined efforts to not only advance our University and transform the lives of our students, but also to sustain a model to which other educational institutions across the nation aspire to emulate. This is a proud moment for our Hill and for our benefactors. Congratulations!

Best,

Timothy C. Caboni