Kent State University President Beverly Warren again pledged $25,000 to support Kent State on Nov. 29, which is Giving Tuesday. In addition, the Kent State University Foundation is pledging an additional $50,000 to match every gift, dollar for dollar, designated to the Kent State programs and initiatives of the donor’s choice.
Kent State has participated in Giving Tuesday the last four years, and this is the second year that Warren has pledged a matching gift. Kent State alumni, friends, faculty and staff are encouraged to take a moment to “put your money where your heart is” and support a university program of their choosing.
Warren’s donation will go to the Purposeful Learning Initiative. The initiative encourages students to consider their life’s purpose in addition to declaring an academic major. This program supports not just the achievement of career goals but the development of a meaningful life.
“Giving Tuesday has become a very special tradition at Kent State because it engages growing numbers of alumni and friends every year,” Warren said. “This engagement makes a difference for current and future students, and the entire university is energized by the enthusiasm demonstrated on Giving Tuesday.”
Donors may make gifts to Kent State by visiting www.kent.edu/givingtuesday, clicking the “GIVE” button and choosing a fund that matches their interests. To help spread the word about Kent State’s Giving Tuesday campaign, donors are also asked to use the hashtag #KSUGives to share on social media why they chose to give and which area of Kent State they supported.
In addition to the foundation’s match and Warren’s pledge to the Purposeful Learning Initiative, there are six more giving opportunities that promise additional matching funds:
KUPITA/TRANSICIONES
Generous gifts from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board members have provided $5,000 in matching funds for the Kupita/Transiciones 20/20 Fund. For 28 years, Kupita/Transiciones has been bolstering the success of newly admitted Kent State students from different ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds. Gifts will help students engage in culturally enriching activities, build bonds with mentors and learn about cultural resources on campus.
TRUMBULL CAMPUS
A total of $25,000 in matching gifts has been pledged by an anonymous donor from Trumbull County to inspire gifts to the Trumbull Campus on Giving Tuesday. Gifts to any Trumbull Campus fund will be eligible for the match. Donors can support the projects and programs that are important to the Trumbull Campus, its student body and the community it serves. A standard of excellence has been a hallmark of Kent State Trumbull for more than 60 years.
FASHION SCHOOL
A generous gift from Love and Cherise Goel to Kent State’s Fashion School has provided $25,000 in matching funds for study away/study abroad scholarships for fashion students. These programs extend the experience of the school’s undergraduates, as well as the Fashion School’s reputation on a national and international level. Kent State’s Fashion School is consistently rated among the best fashion institutions in the U.S. and worldwide.
TERELL WILSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
An anonymous gift of $25,000 has been pledged to match any donations to the Terell Wilson Memorial Scholarship for study abroad on Giving Tuesday. Terell Wilson studied communication at Kent State and saw his semester abroad as a life-changing experience that he wanted to share with the at-risk, inner-city youth he planned to counsel. Sadly, he passed away before he had the chance to fulfill his dream. A memorial scholarship was created to give more students like Wilson the opportunity to experience a world beyond the neighborhood they grew up in. Gifts to this scholarship will help carry on his mission.
ATHLETICS
An anonymous gift of $20,000 has been pledged to match any donations to Kent State Athletics on Giving Tuesday. Constantly striving to improve in the classroom, in competition and in life, Kent State is not only building one of the premier athletic programs in the region and beyond; it is providing a solid foundation for our more than 450 student-athletes. Ensuring its student-athletes are given a first-class academic and athletic experience during their time at Kent State is at the forefront of everything it does.
COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
An additional gift of $2,000 in matching funds has been pledged by the dean of the College of Public Health to inspire alumni to give back to the college. Gifts will help prepare students for careers in some of today’s most exciting health fields: emergency management, disease investigation, global health and many others. Donors can support an innovative, growing college at Kent State.