WSSU seeks 1,000 donors for annual Day of Giving Sept. 28
For alumnus Montrell Davis, it’s about paying it forward. For alumni Kenny Lathan and Jeremiah Fields, it’s about preserving legacy and opening doors for the next generation of geniuses.
What will be your motivation for participating in Winston-Salem State University’s annual Day of Giving on Sept. 28, Founder’s Day, as the institution celebrates its 131st birthday.
For a full 24 hours, WSSU will depend on alumni, faculty, staff, organizations, family, friends and the community to help meet this year’s university goal of securing 1,000 donors, said Titus Lee, WSSU associate director of the annual fund.
Donors can give any amount and designate the area in which they prefer their donations to benefit, Lee said. However, the focus of the campaign this year is unrestricted support.
“Unrestricted gifts support the university’s most pressing needs,” Lee said. Last year, among other things, unrestricted funds supported tuition and fees for students, study abroad opportunities, emergency assistance to help students with transportation to on-the-job training, travel for students to conferences to present research, and laptops.
“It’s not just a financial contribution, it’s a contribution to help open gates and open avenues for students that may not have them prior to the funding,” said Fields, Class of 2020, in a testimonial video about giving. Click here to watch Day of Giving testimonial videos.
There are friendly competitions among reunion groups and alumni classes who will get bragging rights, but at the end of the day, WSSU is the winner. Last year, WSSU, in celebration of its milestone 130th birthday, ran its campaign for 28 days and raised $269,009.68 from 820 donors. The class of 1981 raised the most funds and the WSSU Alumni Association was the high achiever in the affinity group category.
Dionne Taylor, class of ’91, used her birthday this year to raise funds for WSSU. “I understand that everyone is not in the position to give back at this time, but a small gift is better than nothing,” she said.
“Giving Day is a day where we can all come together to show the Ram spirit and give back to the university that helped shape our future,” Lee said.
Lathan, class of 2012, said his grandmother and sister graduated from Winston-Salem Teachers College in the 1950’s. “I want to make sure the university continues to prosper for the next 131 years.”
“I always try to pay it forward for things that I didn’t have that I hope the next generation has,” said Davis, class of 2015.
Justin Ross, class of 2021, said this year’s Day of Giving is going to be better than ever “so make sure you’re in the number that day to help us reach our donor goal of a thousand. Yes, a thousand (donors) – a thousand celebrating 131 years of our great university.”
Ways to give
- Visit this link to donate online: Day of Giving 2023
- Text to give – Text 131GIVE to 71777
- Call (336) 750-3132
For donations made before Sept. 28, please indicate if they are for Day of Giving.
