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 Ģ������ƵStories      December 15, 2025

By Bill Studenc

Ģ������Ƶ students, including members of the institution’s intercollegiate sports teams, have more than 1.4 million reasons to celebrate the results of the recent GivingTuesday fundraising effort. That’s the number of dollars contributed to the university during the national day of philanthropy.

Going into GivingTuesday, which fell on Dec. 2 this year, WCU’s Division of Advancement had announced a goal of 1,000 individual donors for its 2025 effort, with an emphasis on financial support for Catamount student-athletes and for excellence endowments that provide enhanced academic and extracurricular experiences for all students.

Now that the final numbers from the fundraising initiative have been tallied, the division is reporting that a total of 1,496 donors participated in WCU’s GivingTuesday effort, surpassing the original goal by almost 500 donors. That total includes 151 new, first-time donors. The final tally of gifts and pledges raised through GivingTuesday totaled $1,454,961.32.

As part of GivingTuesday 2025, several members of the Ģ������ƵFoundation Board of Directors and the Alumni Association Board of Directors issued challenge gifts, matching contributions made by other donors based on certain criteria. By meeting the challenges, donors unlocked tens of thousands of dollars in additional support for WCU.

The university prioritized support for its intercollegiate sports program during this year’s edition of GivingTuesday by encouraging contributions to the Catamount Club athletics booster organization. Athletics, including a major effort to secure gifts for much-needed improvements to facilities used by Ģ������Ƶstudent-athletes, is a primary focus of WCU’s ongoing “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign.

In addition, GivingTuesday at Ģ������Ƶalso focused on funding for excellence endowments that support all of the institution’s colleges – Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts, Brinson Honors College, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and Allied Professions, College of Engineering and Technology and College of Health and Human Sciences – and for the Graduate School, Highlands Biological Station and Hunter Library.

“I never cease to be amazed by the generous spirit of the greater Western Carolina University community,” said James Hogan, assistant vice chancellor for engagement. “These gifts, regardless of the amount, will help provide critical resources for our Catamount student-athletes and will enable deans and other academic leaders to enhance educational experiences for all students. We are grateful for this outpouring of support, and we do not take it granted.”

As part of activities on Dec. 2, students gathered from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of A.K. Hinds University Center for Gingerbread and Gratitude, an event at which they decorated gingerbread cookies, wrote thank you notes to donors and picked up free goodies.

Launched in 2012, GivingTuesday is held on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and after the big shopping days of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Next year’s GivingTuesday will be on Dec. 1.

The university’s GivingTuesday gift-counting period for 2025 ran from Nov. 1 through Dec. 5 and included gifts or pledges designated to any Ģ������Ƶfund.

All contributions to this year’s GivingTuesday count toward the total tally of the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign. The third comprehensive fundraising campaign in the university’s history, “Fill the Western Sky” is the first with a significant focus on raising money for improvements to the university’s aging athletics infrastructure, part of an overarching effort to enhance the total student experience. The campaign goal is to raise a minimum of $100 million in philanthropic support.

For more information about the campaign or to make a contribution, visit , call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.