Giving on Giving Tuesday

Students give thank yous for funds. Photo Courtesy / ESU Foundation Students give thank yous for funds. Photo Courtesy / ESU Foundation
Students give thank yous for funds. Photo Courtesy / ESU Foundation
Students give thank yous for funds.
Photo Courtesy / ESU Foundation

Contributed by the ESU Foundation

The East Stroudsburg University Foundation participated in its first Giving Tuesday on Tuesday, November 29, 2016.

Thanks to more than 200 alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends, and generous challenge gifts from ESU Foundation Board members and President Dr. Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., the ESU Foundation exceeded its $30,000 goal, raising $36,605 in one day.

These funds will be directed toward student scholarships, academic programs, research initiatives, campus programs, extracurricular activities and athletics.

“Giving Tuesday was important to me because support from donors help prepare me to be a better teacher. That means that every gift not only make my education better, but will impact students for generations to come,” said first year student and Warrior Elite ambassador Rachel Williams.

Throughout the day, the campus community and ESU’s network of alumni, parents and friends came together to support various academic, athletic and extracurricular programs and scholarship funds.

Through a lively social media campaign, donors shared their giving stories and encouraged classmates and friends to join them in supporting the ESU Foundation for Giving Tuesday.

On campus, the ESU Foundation hosted “Thank a Donor Day” for faculty, staff and local donors. Guests mingled with students and saw how their gifts directly impact the campus community.

Featured at the event was an area designated for students to write thank you notes to donors. Students also had the opportunity to participate by making a gift to the ESU Foundation Warrior Fund.

Members of Warrior Elite, the ESU student ambassador program, collected gifts from more than 25 students.

“It was encouraging to see the campus community unite for this campaign. We were inspired by the way faculty, staff and students all stepped up to invest in their University,” said ESU Foundation Executive Director Rich Santoro.

“We truly appreciate the way everyone came together for our students. We are especially grateful for our matching gift donors who helped increase the impact of every gift. If you did not have an opportunity to participate in this campaign, you can still support our students by making a gift to the ESU Foundation at any time during the year,” said Santoro.

Giving Tuesday, currently in its fifth year, is an international day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.

As a global movement, Giving Tuesday unites countries around the world by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another.

You can make your gift to the East Stroudsburg University Foundation online at www. esufoundation.org/givenow, by phone at 570-422-3333 or by mailing a check to ESU Foundation, 200 Prospect Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301