WKU Fundraises record $44.5 million in 24-25 Fiscal Year

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) – Western Kentucky University is celebrating a record-breaking $44.5 million in support for the 2024-25 fiscal year, a total that university officials say reflects growing momentum and enthusiasm across campus.

“I think that there’s a lot of momentum happening on campus this year that was particularly bolstered by a few large gifts,” said Amanda Trabue, vice president of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement. “Our alumni and friends really stepped up to support.”

Trabue pointed to several landmark contributions as key drivers of the record-setting year. “We had our first deanship endowed this year by Don and Irene Dizney,” she said. “Collectively, we announced the completion of our Opportunity Fund. We surpassed $102 million total for that effort.”

She also cited upcoming developments as part of the momentum, including “two pretty great construction projects happening on campus with the Gordon Ford College of Business that’s set to open here in about a month, and our Hilltop Fieldhouse that will open later this fall.”

The success, Trabue said, is also the result of close collaboration with university leadership.

“The president is incredibly supportive of our team,” she said. “He’s willing to always be a part of conversations and really sell to our alumni and friends what it means to support our students and our faculty and our staff on campus.”

“All of our top gifts that we raise at the institution are a collaboration between the president and the lead fundraiser,” she added. “He is instrumental in working with those donors to again communicate the vision, and make sure that they have trust in us.”

While some of the larger gifts go toward long-term endowments, Trabue emphasized the value of all giving. “The $44.5 million is a culmination of all giving to the institution,” she said. “There’s a lot of annual gifts that support various areas on campus that are able to be used immediately.”

Annual events like WKU’s Day of Giving also made an impact. “That’s a great example of how annual gifts can really go to work immediately and support the needs of the institution,” she said.

And every donor matters, she added. “We do our best to communicate back to all of our donors what it means to give to the institution,” Trabue said. “A lot of that is direct communication that comes from our students, we also have some great platforms to share direct one-to-one videos with our alumni and friends to be able to show the impact of their giving.”

The university’s culture of engagement was also bolstered by service hours. “Really, the 4,000 hours of volunteer time that was given back to the institution by alumni and friends this year is bolstered by our WKU Alumni Association,” Trabue said.

Looking ahead to the new fiscal year, Trabue said the momentum hasn’t slowed. “We’re really taking the momentum from last year and pushing that forward into this current year,” she said. “A lot of momentum and a lot of work is already underway to launch us into the new fiscal year.”