KWC easily exceeds $1 million Giving Tuesday goal

December 2, 2020 | 12:10 am

Updated December 1, 2020 | 10:48 pm

Graphic by Owensboro Times

Kentucky Wesleyan College surpassed its Giving Tuesday fundraising goal by a comfortable margin this year. 

By Tuesday afternoon, locals, alumni and other donors contributed more than $280,000 during this year’s philanthropic holiday. 

“It’s really mind-blowing,” said Blake Harrison, KWC’s director of development and donor relations. “We’ve far exceeded our expectations and goals.” 

KWC hoped to generate about $180,000 to meet a six-year total of $1 million — with moderate expectations based on this year’s continued financial support. 

“This year, we haven’t slowed down,” Harrison said, “with further evidence today.”  

In 2012, Giving Tuesday became a single-day, philanthropic event that now repeats annual on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. 

The Giving Tuesday organization defines the day as a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.”

It’s a small fraction of annual philanthropy — Giving Tuesday raised about $2 billion while Americans donated about $450 billion in 2019 — but schools like KWC have found the day as one of its most important fundraisers. 

“This is by far our biggest single initiative in any given year,” Harrison said. 

In an average year, the college receives about $2 million in total donations and about $165,000 during Giving Tuesday. This year’s total could represent a 15 percent chunk of donations. 

The vast majority of Giving Tuesday donations provide student scholarships through the Kentucky Wesleyan Scholarship Fund, while the remaining dollars support various academic and athletic programs. 

December 2, 2020 | 12:10 am

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