Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about buying stuff. In contrast, Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement helping people and organizations to transform their communities. Held annually the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, this marks Kent State University’s most generous annual fundraising tradition, having collected nearly $5 million since 2014 to support a wide range of programs throughout the university system.
In previous years, it has generated funds for emergency aid, research, study abroad, degree completion, and more, says Julie Miller, Associate Director of Advancement Communications at Kent. In 2019, Kent Geauga and the Twinsburg Academic Center raised over $6,000 for the Rising Scholars program. As an added bonus in 2020 — for the second year in a row — Middlefield Banking Company will supply matching funds for the first $2,500 in donations.
Giving Tuesday 2020 will be on December 1, dedicated to raising funds for the Last Dollar Scholarship and the Emergency Relief Fund. Miller explains that the Last Dollar Scholarship Fund was established to support students whose college education is near completion but is at risk due to an unexpected financial crisis that threatens their ability to pay for their education. Gifts will go directly to students after a thorough review from Student Financial Aid.
“This fund has helped countless students overcome their financial challenges, and because of you, it will continue to help students who desperately need support to complete their college degrees,” says Kent State Geauga Dean and Chief Administrative Officer Angela Spalsbury. “Together, through scholarship support, we can enrich the lives of our students and help them earn their place as impactful members of their communities across the globe.”
Kent State University created the Kent State Emergency Grant Fund in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to help students dealing with unexpected costs including travel, food, housing, technology needs for remote learning, and lost wages. More than 9,600 students have applied for this emergency assistance from Kent State to date.
“We have been able to help 7,300+ so far, but there are 2,172 applicants who are still in need of assistance,” says Miller. “Your gift immediately helps Kent State students from any campus, in any degree field, overcome these difficult setbacks and unforeseen financial challenges to ensure they stay on the path to earning their degrees.”
Nearly 10,000 students system-wide have applied to receive a portion of this COVID-related funding. “While the majority have received some assistance, we were not always able to provide a grant in the amount of the request due to the tremendous amount of need we saw from students,” Miller says.
“We have more than 2,000 students who have applied for support from this fund but have not yet received assistance,” Dr. Spalsbury adds. “Our hope is that by including the Kent State Emergency Grant Fund in our Giving Tuesday campaign, we can continue to support these students who find themselves in a time of crisis as they endeavor to earn their degrees.”
Middlefield Bank is once again partnering with Kent State with a $2,500 donation to match the first gifts coming into the fund. So, for instance, if an individual donates $25 to the fund, Middlefield Bank will make it $50, explains Molly Smith, Associate Director of Advancement at Kent State Geauga.
Noting that Middlefield Bank has proudly supported Ohio communities since 1901, Melissa Maki, VP/Marketing Communications Director, says, “Again, this year we are excited to partner with Kent State Geauga and Twinsburg Academic Center for Giving Tuesday. The pandemic has impacted all of us, and our contribution will provide financial stability for the students receiving the Last Dollar Scholarship and Emergency Relief Funds.”
Students, faculty, staff, and community members can get involved as donors and fundraisers through the campaign’s giving platform, Classy. Individuals can set their own fundraising goals and reach out to their personal networks to ask for support.