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EKU breaks yearly fundraising record

Eastern Kentucky University
/
eku.edu

EKU fundraised more than $10 million from donors for the first time in the school’s history this fiscal year.

That includes money raised from July 1, 2023 to June 30 this year. EKU says the total amount raised is “$10,005,663 and counting.”

“The major gifts really came through, creating scholarships and allowing us to invest the money so that the funds can continue to grow forever. It’s great,” school Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement Mary Beth Neiser said. “And then just people that decided to remember us in their wills and really left a significant contribution that way.”

The amount is a record for EKU. It also includes more than $720,000 being raised on EKU’s fifth annual Giving Day in April.

Neiser says most of that money will help support student scholarships.

“There are some things that support students in other ways,” Neiser said. “Some of the gifts go straight to athletics. It really depends on what the donor intends. But just over the 23-24 school year, we were able to award $1.8 million in scholarships.”

The university says more than half of its freshman class are first-generation college students. EKU was able to grant 2,546 scholarships this past academic year.

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Shepherd joined WEKU in June 2023 as a staff reporter. He most recently worked for West Virginia Public Broadcasting as General Assignment Reporter. In that role, he collected interviews and captured photos in the northern region of West Virginia. Shepherd holds a master’s degree in Digital Marketing Communication and a bachelor’s in music from West Virginia University.
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