Grove City College’s 2017 Wolverine Challenge shattered fundraising records and attracted more than twice as many donors as needed to unlock nearly a half-a-million dollars in pledged donations.
The College Advancement Team’s primary goal for the Challenge was to engage at least 1,000 alumni and friends to make a donation of any size to the independent Christian liberal arts college during the week after Thanksgiving.
When the final count was complete, the effort attracted 2,337 donors, including 207 first-time supporters – nearly three times as many as the College hoped for – and raised more than $1.5 million.
“We entered the week with a bold sense of what we could accomplish, but we ended up making history. We are truly grateful for each and every donor for their extraordinary commitment to Grove City College, its students and its future,” Brian Powell ’03, Senior Director of Development, said.
The Challenge ran from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 and marks the third year Grove City College has turned to its alumni and friends to demonstrate their support of the College’s vision, mission and values during the week after Thanksgiving, which includes Giving Tuesday, a philanthropic answer to the commercial “Cyber Monday” holiday.
“In three years, our week of giving has gone from a fascinating experiment to a proven success,” Powell said. In 2016, the College engaged 849 donors and raised $1.25 million. The first Challenge, in 2015, attracted 772 donors and raised $435,000.
The Challenges have as much to do with raising money as they do raising awareness and encouraging the continued support of those who best understand the College’s larger impact.
This year, a secondary challenge was issued to alumni of the College’s Greek organizations. The Adelphikos fraternity and Alpha Beta Tau sorority had the highest participation rates.
Grove City College refuses all federal funding, including student loans and grants, to maintain its independence and remain free of unnecessary and burdensome government regulation. The College is committed to responsible stewardship of its resources, which includes providing need- and merit-based aid to students. Generous donors are the key source of that aid, which helps hundreds of students determine their unique callings in an academically excellent and Christ-centered learning and living community.
To support the College’s efforts, visit www.gcc.edu/giving.