Northwest community invited to thank donors on heels of successful Bearcat Day of Green campaign

Northwest Missouri State University will express appreciation for the donors who support its students and programs during the institution’s annual Thank a Donor Day on April 10.

The event, happening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the J.W. Jones Student Union, offers Northwest students and employees an opportunity to learn about the ways donors assist the University while providing gratitude for donor contributions.

“Donors who support Northwest are choosing to help provide students with opportunities they otherwise may not have had,” Tess Lovig, annual giving and alumni relations specialist with Northwest’s Office of University Advancement. “That’s a noble gesture that deserves to be recognized. Everyone in the Northwest community benefits from donations in some way, and by participating in Thank a Donor Day, community members have the chance to thank these donors for their generosity and kindness.”

The Northwest community annually expresses gratitude to its donors with thank you notes and other activities during the University's Thank a Donor Day. (Photo by Chandu Ravi Krishna/Northwest Missouri State University)

On Wednesday, the Northwest Foundation, which develops and stewards philanthropic resources for the benefit of the University and students, concluded its fourth annual Bearcat Day of Green campaign. During a span of 1,905 minutes – a tribute to Northwest’s founding year – 345 donors gave $111,725 for University initiatives. This year’s fundraising total increased by nearly 12 percent from $99,825 raised during last year’s Bearcat Day of Green. 

Participants in the Bearcat Day of Green gifted funds to initiatives supporting scholarships, academics and Bearcat athletics. Donors also provided funding to the Northwest Fund, an unrestricted fund that supports the University’s most significant needs, as well as initiatives such as the Martindale Hall renovation project, multiculturalism, Bearcats Helping Bearcats, campus beautification projects and KXCV-KRNW radio.

During Fiscal Year 2023, the Northwest Foundation achieved one of its most successful fundraising years during the last five decades while supporting continued upgrades to campus facilities and scholarship funding. The Foundation secured $6.6 million in total giving during the fiscal year, which represents a 12 percent increase from the previous fiscal year and is the fifth-highest total raised since the Foundation was established in 1972. The Northwest Foundation has raised about $12.5 million in the two years since the completion of its highly successful Forever Green campaign, which ended with $55 million raised. 

Additionally, scholarship support, which remains a central mission of the Foundation, totaled nearly $1.5 million and funded 1,467 scholarship awards to Northwest students during the last fiscal year. Total scholarship funding through the Foundation increased for the fifth consecutive year, while the average scholarship amount awarded from donor-funded scholarships during FY23 was $1,013.

Further, during the last fiscal year, the Foundation facilitated the creation of 11 endowed scholarships, which are established through gifts totaling a minimum of $25,000.

The Northwest Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, is governed by a 36-member volunteer board and staffed by members of Northwest’s Office of University Advancement.

To make a gift to support Northwest, contact the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or visit www.nwmissouri.edu/GiveOnline.