EWU Foundation Raises More Than $80K for Eastern Students on GivingTuesday

Supporters of Eastern Washington University donated $83,379 to the EWU Foundation on GivingTuesday, the global generosity movement that happens on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving each year. The generous gifts—220 in total—will ensure students stay Eagle Strong during these difficult times by strengthening scholarships, academic departments and athletics programs.

The EWU Foundation’s goal this year was to finish the year by finishing off five scholarship endowment funds that were very close to being endowed. Once the funds reach endowment, or full funding, more students will benefit from scholarship support.

Three scholarship funds did reach endowment Tuesday, which means they will start awarding scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year. The Empowering Women Upward fund will help women 35+ who are fulfilling their dream of earning a degree, the Bill Youngs Endowment will support student research projects in the fields of history and environmental studies, and the Chicana/o/x Studies Endowment will ensure more students, especially first-generation students, find support and a home away from home at Eastern.

Two additional scholarship funds can make a similar impact once they reach endowment. If you missed GivingTuesday, there is still time to donate. The Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering Technology Alumni Endowment Fund will help more students innovate with new technologies and prepare for a competitive job market. This fund only needs about $3,500 to reach full funding. The Anna K. Dvorak Memorial Fund honors an EWU professor who tragically died in a climbing accident in 2015. With an additional $4,000 to the fund created in her honor, scholarships can start awarding students who are studying geography and are interested in exploring the world for social and environmental justice. Plus, the founders of the Dvorak Memorial Fund have pledged to match up to $4,000 in new gifts—meaning your donation can go twice as far and the scholarship fund will reach endowment sooner.

Learn more about the impact of these scholarship funds, and the other opportunities to support student success, by clicking the link below.