WKU News

WKU has surpassed its previous record of private support in a fiscal year with a new high of $36.3 million gifted in 2016-17.

John Paul Blair, WKU’s Interim Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, said the $36.3 million is more than a 20 percent increase from the University’s previous record of $30.2 million. This 2016-17 total includes gifts from more than 14,000 donors from all 50 states and seven countries who made more than 31,000 individual gifts supporting 745 different initiatives benefitting faculty, staff and students across all the WKU campuses.

“Building a strong pipeline through annual giving is critical to the future of the University,” WKU President Timothy C. Caboni said. “Private support from alumni, friends, community partners and even national and international organizations has never been more important. At WKU we are preparing our students to make both a good living and a good life, and we cannot do that without private support.”

“Representing a more comprehensive accounting of philanthropy’s impact on our University, this number is significantly higher than shared in previous years, as, in addition to gift receipts, it also includes new pledges and deferred gifts,” Blair said.

Deferred gift expectancies, which include donors who have shared inclusion of the University in their estate plans, reached an all-time high with a total of more than $123 million.

“We were very excited about the record year we experienced in 2015-16, and this increased level of support shows the strength of the WKU Spirit and philanthropy at WKU in action,” Blair said. “Every donor, whether a first-time donor or a member of the Cupola Society who has been making gifts to the University for many years, is an important part of the WKU family. We appreciate each of the more than 14,000 donors who have elected to direct their philanthropy through the University, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with each and every one.”

Contact: John Paul Blair, (270) 745-6208.