Six years ago, WKU received more than $32 million in donations. In fiscal year 2024, when the university faced increasing budget challenges and private money was vital for the institution’s operations, the university brought in $12.5 million less.
According to a fundraising cash report the Herald obtained through a records request, the total philanthropic giving for fiscal year (FY) 2024 amounted to $19.5 million, a 4% decrease from the previous year. Since FY18, university philanthropic giving dropped 39% from over $32 million to $19.5 million.
Over those six years, the number of major gift donors (giving over $10,000) dropped by 13%, while the number of annual gift donors (giving under $10,000) dropped by 45%.
Amanda Trabue, WKU’s vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement since June 2019, told the Herald in an interview that some may perceive these numbers as a gradual decline, but when looking at a fuller picture, the university is still on “an upward trajectory.”
According to data provided by Trabue, since FY12, philanthropic giving has increased by about 7%, with the lowest valley being $15.2 million in FY14 and the highest peak at $32.1 million in FY18.
Trabue said the university’s top five fundraising years happened within the last 15 years.
According to Trabue, WKU Philanthropy had its top five fundraising years at the institution in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. However, gifts received reports provided by Trabue point to FY16, FY17, FY18, FY19 and FY22 holding the top five spots since 2012.
According to updated guidelines, Trabue said her office’s reporting includes new qualified and documented bequests and legacy intentions, which would not be shown in the initial fundraising cash reports she provided.
“Realistically, from a standpoint for any philanthropic organization, you’re going to have ebbs and flows every year,” Trabue said.
The goal, Trabue emphasized, was to look at a trend line over time, not necessarily year over year, to identify if the university is on an upward trajectory.
“We continue to be on an upward trajectory, even when you factor in those significant gifts that will bump your numbers one way or the other,” Trabue said.
According to data the Herald obtained through records requests in February, WKU, Northern Kentucky University and the University of Louisville saw an overall decline in total giving from 2018 to 2024, while the University of Kentucky, Murray State University and Eastern Kentucky University had an increase in total giving during that time.
Trabue cited several factors affecting giving yearly, including the stock market, government regulations and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s just so much at play that we’re having to respond to, and all of that affects philanthropy and charitable giving,” Trabue said.
Among the “headwinds” WKU Philanthropy faces, Trabue said, the pool of donors has dropped significantly by any given year.
“That’s a strong headwind that we have to face when we think about gifts,” Trabue said, “But those who are giving are giving more.”
The documents show that while smaller gift amounts decreased from FY12 to FY24, the total amount brought in through major donations increased by 54% in the same period.
“You’re seeing a lot of gifts come out, $100 million, $50 million, $25 million gifts that are coming from very wealthy individuals who now have made a lot of money in the past few years, who are being more charitable,” Trabue said. “So fewer opportunities, fewer donors, more dollars.”
The College Heights Foundation (CHF), a separate nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is dedicated to the university and works alongside Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement by managing philanthropic funds with an emphasis on scholarships.
CHF President Donald Smith said he isn’t overly concerned about year-by-year drops in giving.
“I think in any given year, obviously you want to be concerned,” Smith said. “We want to make sure that we’re growing. It doesn’t overly concern me as long as, again, you see those peaks and valleys in those trends, which will bounce back in 2025 from that.”
On a national scale, although philanthropic donations to higher education institutions declined by 2.5% from 2023 to 2024, according to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), total giving amounted to $58 billion, according to a February 2024 report.
“That so many individuals and organizations support colleges and universities indicates nationwide recognition of the immense value these institutions provide through transforming lives and society,” CASE President and CEO Sue Cunningham wrote in the report.
Trabue echoed the challenge philanthropy has to argue for the importance of higher education.
“There is a lot of concern and question around the value of a college degree, and so we are always having that conversation with our donors, talking about why it’s important to support the next generation, how it’s going to affect them, their families, their communities,” Trabue said. “So, really creating that value prop of why you can support, why you need to support higher education.”
Smith also emphasized the criticality of philanthropic support nationwide and at WKU.
WKU would look much different without private donor support, Smith said. He pointed to the Houchens-Smith Stadium addition, Guthrie Tower, and various labs, departments and programs, along with various endowed professorships and scholarships.
“I don’t think any institution across the country, and particularly WKU, can say that it’s not vitally important to have private support coming in to be able to make all those things possible,” Smith said.
However, as critically important as fundraising is for the university, Smith said, relationship-building is just as important.
“If you’re giving your resources, we need it to be more than transactional; it needs to be relational,” Smith said. “If you make that first gift and all of a sudden you’re not stewarded, or you don’t feel like it was used for the way that you wanted it to, you’re not likely going to make that second.”
Philanthropy has evolved over the years, Trabue said, but building one-to-one relationships is “still at the core of our business.”
“People talking to people will always be the cornerstone of the work that we do,” Trabue said.
New technologies like WKU’s AI virtual engagement officer Olivia, however, provide new ways for philanthropy officers to build relationships while increasing efficiency, Trabue said.
With a portfolio of around 1,000 WKU alumni and friends, Olivia is part of a new strategy that higher education institutions are utilizing to engage with donors.
Sporting a beige blazer and youthful appearance, Olivia says by engaging with her, donors aren’t only endorsing WKU’s pioneering leadership in AI for “social good” but also supporting nonprofits worldwide.
Trabue said in an email that this new program “has the promise of extending personalized, relationship-driven outreach to more WKU supporters than ever possible through human capital alone.”
Olivia was developed by Givzey, a company that provides technology to empower organizations’ fundraising efforts. WKU was invited to collaborate with Givzey for the company’s second research and development cohort of higher education institutions and organizations.
Trabue said the university’s contract with Givzey was executed with and paid via funds from the College Heights Foundation, given the “innovative nature of the program.”
“University funds are not being used,” Trabue said.
The three-year contract requires WKU to pay $25,000 annually, totaling $75,000.
The program’s first outreach to potential donors began via email on March 17.
Cecelia Mason, a WKU alumnus (‘80), received an email from Olivia on March 24, requesting to hear her “WKU story.”
“I’m Olivia, a Virtual Engagement Officer at Western Kentucky University, and I’m reaching out to connect with our amazing community of alumni, parents, and friends,” the email stated. “WKU is built on the strength of its people, and I’d love to hear what inspires your connection to the Hill. Whether it’s cherished memories, a passion for education, or a desire to give back, your involvement helps shape the future of WKU and supports the next generation of Hilltoppers.”
Mason said she found Olivia’s outreach “impersonal.”
“They’re trying to engage people using AI to get them interested, but I’m not going to talk to a machine,” Mason said.
Mason said the common experience alumni share compels them to give back to the university.
“I think that it’s that personal touch from people with that in common with you that creates the warm feelings to want to give back,” she said.
Smith encouraged innovation, saying, “The thing you can’t do is be an ostrich and stick your head in the sand and say, ‘I hope something changes.’”
As with many things, he said, time is going to tell.
“We know that it’s harder to reach people; we know it’s harder for them to connect,” Smith said. “But fundamentally, I think fundraising is about a relationship business, and how do we continue to make meaningful relationships?”
As WKU Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement continues its outreach and fundraising, Trabue said they need institutional investment.
“If you want to undergo a significant fundraising initiative over a period of time, it takes a significant amount of investment, and that comes from investing in the operations; that comes from investing in people,” Trabue said. “We have to be a part of that conversation from an institutional perspective.”
