Purdue Raises Millions During ‘Day of Giving’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPurdue University says it raised $7.5 million during its first “Day of Giving.” The school says the gifts, which ranged from $10 to more than $1 million, will be used on student affordability and accessibility programs.
May 1, 2014
News Release
West Lafayette, Ind. — Purdue University received $7.5 million from 6,500 donations during its first Day of Giving on Wednesday (April 30).
The Purdue Day of Giving was a 24-hour, online and social media event that focused on student affordability and accessibility, among other areas. The day's theme was “Opportunity Granted.”
Gifts ranged from $10 to more than $1 million. Donors included long-time benefactors along with students, staff and recent graduates new to philanthropy. The online event drew contributors from 15 countries – including China, Australia and Uzbekistan – and all 50 states. Some donors honored family members or favorite professors with their gifts.
“We at Purdue are truly grateful to all of our students, parents, faculty and staff, alumni, and friends who made our first Day of Giving such a success,” said Amy Noah, vice president for development. “The Boilermaker family came together in a powerful way, and their gifts will help Purdue pursue extraordinary opportunities for innovation, achievement and growth while keeping an affordable education within reach of our students.”
More than $454,000 in donations to the President's Student Affordability and Accessibility Fund received a dollar-for- dollar match, accounting for more than $908,000 of the total. The fund provides scholarships for Indiana students in need of financial support.
“The donor who offered that match inspired some of our faculty and staff to offer matching dollars of their own to colleagues who contributed to their particular department,” Noah said. “That's an extraordinary show of commitment to Purdue and its future.”
Among students who donated to Purdue through the Day of Giving was Barnard Mondal, who will graduate this month with a degree in civil engineering and begin graduate work at Purdue in the fall.
Mondal is from the Science Bound program, which mentors Indianapolis Public Schools students in the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines and offers them a Purdue scholarship for meeting goals.
“Purdue has given me more through academic, social and professional experiences than I have given to the school monetarily or could ever give in any way,” Mondal said. “Education opens opportunities for individuals to change their lives and the lives around them. I wanted to give because I want to see other students have the opportunities I have been privileged to have through Purdue.”
Mondal, who made a $100 donation, is a graduate of Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis.
Frank and Karen Wolfsheimer of Micanopy, Fla., made a $1 million gift to the Department of Biological Sciences as part of the Day of Giving. Their hope is that the gift can be used to support a professorship.
Frank Wolfsheimer, a retired physician, earned a degree in biology from Purdue in 1971. Karen Wolfsheimer, a veterinarian, did a one-year internship at the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1978-79.
“We donated the gift because we wanted to give back,” Frank Wolfsheimer said. “I received a quality education at Purdue and enjoyed my time there.”
More information on donating to Purdue can be found at http://www.purdue.edu/giving/.
Source: Purdue University