EKU Annual Giving Impact Report 2022-23

IMPACT REPORT

2022-23

Dear Friend:

As I write this note, I am a few short weeks from retirement. In my decades at Eastern Kentucky University, I have learned that although there is some annual ebb and flow in numbers -fundraising, retention, graduates -- each new year is as worthy of celebration as the last. Each year, individual lives are changed. New students arrive at EKU with hopes and dreams for their futures. New alumni walk across the stage at graduation and move toward the next steps in their journeys.

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating Eastern and its students as you read through this report. The stories you’ll discover and the statistics you see represent a small fraction of the lives changed through your investment. Annual gifts to EKU help provide students with the scholarships, tools, and resources they need for success.

We are grateful for the alumni and friends who support Eastern year after year. This year, we welcomed more than 3,000 donors to the Milestone Society, a giving society for those who have made a gift to EKU at least two consecutive years and therefore help to provide a continual investment in the lives of students.

Thank you for your dedication to Eastern. I hope you’ll join me in continuing to support EKU students this year and every year.

Sincerely,

Betina Gardner Retired Vice President for Development & Alumni Engagement

Milestone Society

See the fiscal year 2023 Milestone Society

Honor Roll of Donors at development.eku.edu/MilestoneSociety

YOUR IMPACT

Total Giving: $2,415,146

Total Donors: 9,566

Total Milestone Society Members:

3,087

Total New Donors: 1,599

GIVING DAY 2023 Investing in Eastern’s Excellence

Eastern Kentucky University’s fourth Giving Day was a success thanks to support from alumni and friends like you. The original goal of 2,292 donors, representing the number of Spring 2022 EKU graduates, was accomplished in less than 24 hours on Wednesday, April 19. By midnight, 2,563 donors had generously provided $432,600 in support of scholarships, resources, and opportunities for Eastern’s students.

A debut Giving Day event for EKU employees and community members, Giving Day Live! Trivia Night was an exciting addition to the day’s festivities. Attendees gathered in teams at Dreaming Creek Brewery to test their knowledge about EKU, the Richmond, Kentucky community, and pop culture. The three winning teams received gifts to their chosen EKU funds, provided by Betina Gardner, retired Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement.

The I EKU Party returned for the second year. The event featured free tie-dye EKU t-shirts, a mechanical bull, a popular local DJ, photos in the Powell Fountain, free food, a doughnut truck, and crafts. Student donors increased this Giving Day, with more than 300 students making a gift.

Be sure to mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 17, 2024, for EKU’s next Giving Day.

GIVING DAY LEADERBOARD

Most Philanthropic College College of Business

Greek Chapter with the Most Donors Chi Omega

Athletics Fund with the Most Donors Football Program (Matter of Pride)

Affinity with the Most Donors Athletics

Photos: (top) Students placed flags to represent the number of donors who made gifts on Giving Day. (right) Photos from the I EKU Party.

YOUR GIFT MAKES AN IMPACT

STUDENT ASSISTANCE FUND FOR EASTERN (SAFE)

Last July and August, tragedy struck eastern Kentucky. Heavy rains led to historic flooding conditions that devastated thousands of families. The death toll from flooding rose to the dozens, and many people lost everything. Several of the families affected by the flooding included students who would soon be returning to EKU for the fall semester.

With many of the affected students losing all of their belongings, including supplies they needed for school, EKU’s donors jumped into action. In just a few short weeks, nearly $40,000 was given to the Student Assistance Fund for Eastern (SAFE) to meet these students’ needs, ranging from school supplies to toiletries. This generosity helped the students to have one less worry after the trauma of the flooding.

Upon her return to campus from her home on the Breathitt/Perry County line, nursing student Emily Stacy, said: “I have a place to shower. I have a place to sleep. I have everything I need here and I don't have to worry about that.”

“I have a place to shower. I have a place to sleep. I have everything I need here and I don't have to worry about that.”

- Emily Stacy, SAFE recipient

COLONEL’S CUPBOARD

Each November, participants in the Colonel’s Cupboard Virtual Food Drive help to stock the food pantry through the winter and early spring months. This past November, more than 350 donors contributed over $11,000 during the campaign.

“Students who have basic needs met and are secure mentally and physically will perform better academically," said Colonel's Cupboard Education Specialist Madelynne Banderman. "The Colonel’s Cupboard provides a direct service to students through a safe and inclusive environment where those basic needs can be addressed. Through the generosity of our donors, we are able to provide a wide variety of food options for our students, including fresh and frozen items like bread, milk, eggs, fresh fruit and frozen vegetables. The financial support of our donors helps us continue to serve all EKU students.”

The Cupboard is a vital service at EKU 21% of Eastern’s students need food assistance during their college career. The Cupboard distributes food to both full-time and part-time students, while also providing referral services to social service agencies when needed. Gifts during the Colonel’s Cupboard Virtual Food Drive allow the Cupboard to meet students' most basic needs.

Socktober Campaign

Like the Colonel’s Cupboard Virtual Food Drive, the Socktober campaign helps to meet students’ needs through the Colonel’s Cupboard. In October, donors to EKU provided 222 gifts totaling more than $20,000 during the second annual Socktober campaign. Donors who gave $60 or more to the General Endowed Scholarship during October were provided with a pair of 2022 EKU Socktober socks and a pair of socks were also provided to the Colonel’s Cupboard to provide warmth to students during the winter months.

Dustin Tucker College of Business

Dustin Tucker came to EKU from Bracken County, Kentucky. As the first in his family to attend college, the move to campus was a new experience for his entire family. Receiving a scholarship has provided the resources he needed to continue his goal of earning a degree in Business Management with a minor in Psychology. During his time at EKU, he has been a part of the Honors Program and also participated in a recent study abroad program in Berlin, Germany.

“The excellent EKU staff, faculty, students and campus made for an easy transition from quaint Brooksville, Kentucky," Tucker said. "Currently, I am interested in human resources, but I am most excited to use my degree to uplift and aid my future workplace.”

Skylar Burns College of Education & Applied Human Sciences

Students like Skylar Burns will one day return to their home communities to make a difference for others. Originally from London, Kentucky, she has a goal of becoming an educator. Donor support has helped to decrease some of the financial burden of higher education for Burns.

“I found my way to EKU through my amazing teachers at my high school. Several of them are graduates of EKU and always told us about their amazing experience at this college," Burns said. "This scholarship will help me because it will help ease the stress of the financial burdens that college brings. My past three years at EKU have been amazing. I’ve made so many new friendships and I’ve gained so much knowledge. I’m so thankful for my professors and classmates. They are the people who have pushed me to get this far in my college journey. After college I hope to find a teaching job in the town I grew up in. I hope to change the lives of the children I have the opportunity to teach!”

Destiny Turner

College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science

As the first in her family to attend college, Destiny Turner's decision to attend college came with some fear of the unknown about what to expect and how to afford tuition. However, with the support of her family and high school TRIO director, she chose EKU and has not looked back. Receiving a scholarship alleviated her fears about the cost of college and has allowed her to focus on her studies and her future.

“Scholarships like this one have helped me continue my education without a major financial burden over my head," Turner explained. "While at EKU I am looking forward to graduation and receiving my bachelor's in Criminal Justice and Sociology. I am also striving to help those I come across during my time here to encourage them to continue and get more involved on campus. Once I graduate, I am looking to become a child advocate or a victim advocate.”

Jaden Johnson College of Health Sciences

Jaden Johnson grew up in London, Kentucky, and arrived at EKU with the dream of becoming an occupational therapist. Receiving a scholarship this past year has helped her continue her academic journey without worrying as much about the cost of higher education.

About her EKU experience so far, Johnson said: “Eastern Kentucky University has allowed me to participate in the occupational science and occupational therapy doctorate program, where I will be able to learn valuable experiences and hopefully bring them back to my own community and family. In order to afford school, I began working as a caretaker for adults with disabilities, managing 40 hours of work along with the full-time responsibilities of being a college student. However, I have no regrets about my path and as a firm believer in the saying, ‘Good things come to those who wait,’ this scholarship is evident that the saying still rings true. As a hopeful occupational therapist, I want to create opportunities, bridge gaps in our society, and advocate for those around me.”

Rebecca Blair College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS)

Noting her beloved hometown’s minimal mental health resources, Rebecca Blair quickly chose psychology as her major when she arrived on the Campus Beautiful. With the help of a scholarship, she is on a journey to becoming a therapist and hopes to one day bring additional mental health services back home to Paintsville, Kentucky.

“Upon my arrival to EKU, I was terrified to be away from the only home I had ever known but after a few short weeks, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be," Blair recalled. "I am now studying psychology in hopes to become a child and family therapist in my hometown to ensure that the citizens have access to mental health treatment. I have enjoyed my time here in Richmond and will continue to do so until I have made my dreams a reality.”

Dwayne Johnson College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Dwayne Johnson’s path to becoming a pilot began in high school. While at EKU, he has earned real-world flight experience that will allow him to accomplish his goals after graduation. Thanks to the generosity of EKU donors, the required flight fees are more manageable.

“I am an aviation major here at Eastern Kentucky University and have a concentration in professional flight," Johnson explained. "I started flying in high school with a flight club that inspired me to be in the aviation field. I actually helped build an airplane. Now, since I am at EKU, I have earned my private pilot license and my instrument rating and am currently working on my commercial certificate. This scholarship will help me pay for my flight fees that are a burden for my family and me.”

Liam Kaune

EKU Athletics

EKU’s student-athletes have the challenge of balancing success in the classroom and on the playing field. A scholarship has allowed Liam Kaune to continue his dream of excelling in both his academic and athletic careers.

Kaune said: “The scholarship has allowed me to remove some financial pressure from my family. More importantly, it allows me to spend less time working. I am now able to spend more time working toward my goals in Track and Field. In the future, I would like to work overseas for Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), executing community recreation programs for soldiers and their families.”

EKU HONORS

Gifts to EKU Honors Program’s Bonnie Gray Society Endowment made travel and learning opportunities more accessible and affordable for Honors students over the past year. Established in 2008 by Honors alumni as a tribute to EKU Honors Founding Director Dr. Bonnie Gray, this fund helps to create opportunities like the Cultural Trip and Sidewalk U. In January, Honors students enjoyed a Cultural Trip to New Orleans.

"This Cultural Trip with the Honors Program was absolutely a blast because we were able to go to so many museums, historical sites and famous restaurants for free! Instead of worrying about if I could afford the next activity, I could focus on the gorgeous architecture and great food in New Orleans and just be open to opportunities to learn with my friends outside the classroom,” said Sarah Morris.

Austin Arroyo said the New Orleans Cultural Trip "gave me an opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of New Orleans as well as become closer with more members of the Honors Program. I am extremely grateful to Honors Program alumni and donors for this great opportunity and hope others get the opportunity to travel with the program in the future!"

French Market, New Orleans

"I am extremely grateful to Honors Program alumni and donors for this great opportunity and hope others get the opportunity to travel with the program in the future!"

- Austin Arroyo Cultural Trip Participant

EKU LIBRARIES

The foundation of EKU Libraries’ mission is to serve others. Gifts to the Libraries not only make a meaningful impact on Eastern’s students, but also allow them an opportunity to give back and help others. This past year, students from Dr. Socorro Zaragoza’s class, Spanish for Social Services, raised money and partnered with EKU Libraries to purchase books for the library at Martha Jane Potter Elementary School in Letcher County, Kentucky. Recent flooding in eastern Kentucky devastated communities, and this partnership provided outreach and support that made a powerful difference.

EKU Libraries combined donor funds along with the money raised by Dr. Zaragoza’s class, collaborated with the elementary school librarian to select necessary resources, cataloged the books and prepared them with barcodes, and delivered them. “Helping school libraries ultimately helps everyone and allows us to make connections with students who might find themselves at EKU one day,” shared Dean of Libraries Julie George. “Libraries help everyone.”

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