Krannert recorded the second-highest donation total among all Purdue academic units, raising nearly $5.9 million from more than 500 donors.
Purdue Day of Giving total hits $37.6 million
2018 event sets fourth straight record for 24-hour higher-ed campaign
Spring 2018
Purdue University
Purdue University set the collegiate record for single-day fundraising on April 25, raising $37.6 million through Purdue Day of Giving and besting its own record-setting performance of $28.2 million in 2017. This year’s online event marked the fourth consecutive year that Purdue has raised the most dollars for higher education in a 24-hour timespan.
All told, Purdue Day of Giving has raised $105.3 million since it launched in 2014. A YouTube video is available here.
At 18,663 donations, the event also set a Purdue record for number of gifts received in a single day, surging past last year’s count of 15,181. Donations came in from 58 countries — a new Purdue record — and all 50 states.
Funds raised support the gamut of initiatives, programs, and activities at Purdue, such as life-giving drug discovery, work in environmental sustainability, and student leadership and enrichment opportunities.
“Since its inception, Purdue Day of Giving has become a record-setting national landmark and perhaps the 24 most exciting hours on the entire Purdue calendar,” said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. “We are grateful to the students, alumni, parents, friends, retirees, faculty and staff who have supported us so enthusiastically and created this new, unifying Purdue tradition.”
Purdue Day of Giving ran from midnight to midnight on Wednesday, under the banner “Make Your Mark.” Despite technical difficulties with the online giving site early on, donors contributed throughout the day to campuses, colleges, schools, programs and student organizations of their choice. Thirty hourly challenges and six full-day challenges engaged Purdue’s 66 participating academic and non-academic programs in friendly competition for cash prizes, and 156 student organizations participated in a challenge specifically for them.
Gifts ranged in size from $1 to $8 million. Approximately 94 percent were made online. Krannert tallied the second-highest total among academic units with nearly $5.9 million raised from more than 500 donors. Among the highlights:
- Tom Howatt, retired president and CEO of Wausau Paper, made a $1.2 million donation to establish the merit-based Howatt Scholars program for in-state undergraduates.
- Phillips 66 increased its Purdue Day of Giving funding to $150,000, giving the company a five-year total of more than $575,000.
- Numerous donations to support the Dr. Cornell A. Bell Business Opportunity Program (BOP) undergraduate scholarship fund as well the newly established Nanci Forney Exceptional Service and Leadership Award.
“Every year we are so grateful to the thousands of individuals, foundations and corporations that contribute to Purdue on our Day of Giving,” said Amy Noah, vice president for development. “Five years ago, we wanted to create a special event that would rally the Purdue family in support of the university. Since then, people have responded to the opportunity, the excitement and of course the competitions—and far exceeded our expectations. Now we’re seeing some of our supporters wait for this window of time to make significant commitments and legacy gifts, just to be part of the day. We are amazed by the generosity and spirit of everyone who contributed.”
For more information on Purdue Day of Giving and a list of the hourly-challenge and full-day-challenge winners, see DayofGiving.Purdue.edu.
