GW’s fifth annual Giving Day amassed more than $2 million, racking up the highest sum of donations since the fundraiser’s launch in 2020.
The University received $2,023,869 in donations between Wednesday and Thursday during its annual Giving Day, raising $200,000 more than last year and setting a record for highest amount of donations received since the program’s onset. Nearly 3,600 donors gave a monetary gift to GW this year — roughly 100 more than last year, when 3,498 people donated and 2,755 donated in 2023.
This year’s Giving Day, which ran from April 2 at noon to April 3 at 3 p.m., extended for three more hours for a “final push.” It marked the third year the fundraising event encompassed two days within a 24 hours period to attract more donors.
GW Alumni Association President Maxwell Gocala-Nguyen said during a February Board of Trustees meeting that officials were focusing on increasing the number of donors participating in the fundraiser rather than the amount of money raised. He said at the meeting that officials planned on “exceeding” previous records for number of donors.
The Wolcott Foundation, a nonprofit supported by an organization of Master Masons who aims to spread more Masonic ideals into the government, donated $500,000 to the University, which will serve as tuition assistance for master’s students seeking a career in government service. The Wolcott Foundation has supported over 500 GW students since 1953, according to a University announcement.
The Wolcott Foundation Fellowship also saw donations from eight other donors, bringing in an additional $991. The fellowship was not a funding option last year, per last year’s website.
GW Student Affairs earned the highest amount of funding of GW’s 14 projects listed online, bringing in over $267,000, which will go toward supporting wellness initiatives, student support, cultural events and student organizations, per the website.
The Elliott School of International Affairs received the highest total donation of 11 of GW’s schools and colleges, racking in $246,005 from 119 donors — a $90,000 increase from last year — which will help support student and faculty research, scholarships and fellowships, according to their website.
GW Law secured $240,165 in donations from 350 donors, doubling its goal of 175 donors, and making it the second-highest funded school during the Giving Day, according to the campaign website. The website states that the donations will support law students’ financial aid and faculty research.
The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences earned $185,461, a drop from the $738,539 they earned in 2024.
The highest percentage of donations came from alumni, accounting for 36 percent of all donations, followed by 18 percent from faculty and 13 percent from parents. Gocala-Nguyen said last year he hoped to engage alumni who have not previously engaged with the Alumni Association through formal discussions to bolster engagement in alumni events during his presidency.
