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College Sets #GivingTuesday Record at $100,000

24-Hour Fundraising Effort Supports Programs and Projects to Benefit Students Students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of Wilmington College marshaled forces on #GivingTuesday (Nov. 27) doubled last year’s record amount of gifts received in the 24-hour period. The College raised $92,805 from 276 donors on #GivingTuesday, the day in which persons across the nation contribute to their favorite charities and not-for-profit organizations and institutions. It’s the philanthropic brother to the popular Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday promotions following Thanksgiving. The next day, when one of the College's leadership donors learned about the day's smashing success, that person gladly gave another $7,195 to make it an even $100,000. WC’s #GivingTuesday results eclipsed last year’s efforts of $50,386 in smashing the $75,000 goal set for 2018. The success also achieved the goal of breaking the previous year’s record for each of the five years the College has staged the special daylong campaign. Matt Wahrhaftig, vice president for advancement at WC, expressed his elation for the support the College received from its stakeholders. He said constituents view WC as a college on the move with new facilities opened in recent years, additional academic areas added that reflect societal needs and a general positive spirit surrounding the College’s “significant role” in the region’s higher education landscape. “It’s hard to put into words how thankful we are to everyone who supported this effort made on behalf of our students,” he said, noting the excitement on campus Tuesday was palpable as giving numbers began approaching goals. “Several of our leadership donors made challenge gifts in which they agreed to fund special projects if support achieved certain thresholds for giving amounts and/or number of donors,” he added. Indeed, #GivingTuesday support “helped to unlock” a $10,000 challenge gift from an alumni couple who wish to remain anonymous. This year’s campaign featured 12 special campus projects, including funding to: start a campus radio station, stage a youth entrepreneurship and innovation competition, take sport science students to a facility at which they can train on a patient simulator, provide equipment for WC’s Disability Services’ new facility and purchase an eco-friendly marine aquarium for the biology area and a new potter’s wheel for a ceramics class. Funding also was sought for such special projects and programs as growing and caring for the Meriam R. Hare Quaker Heritage Center’s historical collection and facilitating internships for WC students with global peace organizations. In addition, other special campaigns sought funds for special analytical tools that students would use in partnering with local entities relating to social sciences and for garnering support for expanding WC’s ACCESS (Academic College Campus Experience for Student Success) program for high school students. Many donors chose other projects and programs in which they had a specific interest, in addition to providing funds for the College to determine the designation. Wahrhaftig said support included $58,470 from 90 alumni while 38 percent of faculty/staff contributed $11,338. Even 55 students gave to the cause. The Quaker Heritage Center brought in $3,900 from its constituents, with parents chipping in $2,300 for various student-centered projects. “The commitment made to Wilmington College over 24 hours on #GivingTuesday is nothing less than inspiring, and will serve to motivate others into seeing WC as a worthy investment of their time, talent and treasure throughout the coming months,” he added.