Kent State University launched its month-long celebration of philanthropy, Giving Tuesday, on Nov. 9 and highlighted a fundamental belief within the Golden Flash community: “Flashes Take Care of Flashes.” This caring approach has been a cornerstone in uniting both current and past Flashes in efforts to support each other through trying times.
With so much uncertainty and economic instability arising from the current global health crisis, many students need financial support to continue their education. The “Flashes Take Care of Flashes” message exemplifies the purpose of the Giving Tuesday campaign, which is designed to help members of the university community put their money where their heart is and make a difference for students, who are facing more financial need than ever before.
“As a university, we prioritize access to higher education for students regardless of their financial situation, and we would not be able to do so without the generosity of our donors and the Golden Flash community,” said Valoree Vargo, interim vice president of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Kent State and executive director of the Kent State Foundation. “Despite the unprecedented circumstances we have all experienced this year, our Kent State family has remained united in our efforts to put students first in all that we do. Funds raised during this campaign will have an immediate impact on thousands of students across our campuses.”
This Giving Tuesday, there are 35 featured funds related to the university’s goal to prioritize student success through scholarships and programs within the pillars of Ensuring Access, Rewarding Achievement, Enhancing Experiences and Fostering Completion. Each of these key areas can play an integral role in a student’s ability to maximize their collegiate experience and stay on track to earn their degree. The Kent State Emergency Grant Fund, one of the featured funds during Giving Tuesday, was created in early spring to assist students who were facing unexpected financial hardships due to COVID-19. This fund provides students with quick access to financial assistance to help with necessities like rent, food, technology needs, and tuition and fees. An anonymous donor has pledged $100,000 in matching gift money to this important fund.
This year’s campaign will offer participants additional opportunities to have their gifts enhanced, with new weekly giving incentives announced each Tuesday from Nov. 10 through Dec. 1. However, some popular incentives through the Kent State University Foundation will also remain, including one-to-one matching on Giving Tuesday proper (Dec. 1) and participation boosts, which provide an extra $500 for every 20 unique donors who give $25 or more to a featured fund.
As in previous years, each of the featured funds in this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign has a matching gift available, so donors can double the impact their gift makes throughout the entire campaign. The campaign includes a crowdfunding feature, allowing students, faculty, staff and other supporters to create individual peer-to-peer fundraising pages for the cause of their choice.
“This year’s Giving Tuesday campaign allows donors to get more involved than ever, at a time when we know our students need us most,” said Danielle Hupp, senior associate director, Special Giving Initiatives. “The weekly incentives encourage participation from our Kent State family to give back in a way that has an immediate impact on our students.”
Kent State’s Giving Tuesday celebration began Nov. 9 and will run through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Information on all the Giving Tuesday initiatives as well as a message from President Todd Diacon can be found at www.kent.edu/givingtuesday.
About Kent State University
Kent State University is one of 76 public higher-research universities, as categorized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and is ranked in the first-tier list of Best National Universities by U.S. News & World Report. With eight campuses spanning Northeast Ohio, a College of Podiatric Medicine, a Regional Academic Center, and academic sites in major world cities such as New York City, Geneva and Florence, Kent State is one of Ohio’s leading public universities and a major educational, economic and cultural resource far beyond the Northeast Ohio region it has served since 1910. The student body comprises more than 38,000 students, including more than 1,700 international students from 100 countries, and the worldwide alumni family exceeds 245,000. The addition of new learning environments from the sciences to the arts and the development of exciting new academic programs such as aerospace engineering, geographic information science and business analytics characterize Kent State’s focus on transformational educational experiences.
For more information about Kent State, visit www.kent.edu.