Donations on Clemson Give Day 2017 top $2 million

CLEMSON — The second annual Give Day at Clemson University was more than twice as successful as the first one.

Donors gave $2,062,864 to support scholarships, teaching and facilities during the 24-hour Give Day 2017 that began Thursday morning. Last year, 3,082 donors gave $907,603 on the first Give Day.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Clemson family in support of our second Give Day initiative,” said Brian O’Rourke, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations.

“Our students, faculty and staff will benefit now and for years to come from the more than 3,000 individuals and corporations who united to move Clemson forward in a spectacular way.“

Gifts came from 3,142 donors. Fifty-one percent gave online; others donated at campus locations and by phone. Volunteers thanked many on social media who used the hashtag #ClemsonGiveDay.

The average online gift was $134.97, but several alumni donors pledged large “challenge gifts” that could be collected only when milestones were reached during the day:

• Vic and Susie Parker of Brookhaven, Georgia, gave a $25,000 gift and designated it for the Samuel J. Cadden Chapel when the number of donations reached 500;
• Ed and Kelly Rose of Daniel Island gave $50,000 for the Dean’s Excellence Fund of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences when the number of donations topped 1,000;
• the Fort Hill Clemson Club gave $60,000 for the Fort Hill Clemson Club Endowment for scholarships when donations totaled 1,500; and
• Pat Harman of Burlington, North Carolina, gave $400,000 to The J. Pat Harman and Phoebe Harman Unrestricted Endowment for Excellence when the number of donations reached 2,000.

Clemson alumni employees of GE pledged a gift of $100,000 to the Watt Family Innovation Center and corporate partner DRÄXLMAIER gave $50,000 to support graduate fellowships in automotive engineering.

“We are so grateful to everyone who demonstrated their Clemson spirit by participating in Give Day,” O’Rourke said. “Their gifts will make a difference for Clemson today, tomorrow and forever.”

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