Ninth annual Give Day finishes with over $2M

Clemson University celebrated its ninth annual Give Day on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. During this 24-hour marathon of generosity, 3,930 donors gave an impressive $2,055,178 in cash and new pledges, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to advancing education and empowering the next generation of future alumni.

Brian O’Rourke, vice president for Advancement, expressed his amazement at the Clemson Family’s consistent unity in supporting students and enhancing the educational offerings and services provided by the University.

“The collective dedication of the Clemson Family, and the way it bolsters our students and the University’s offerings, is amazing. It is through this generosity and cooperative effort of the Clemson Family that we continue to thrive and fulfill our mission of academic excellence and student success. Together, we are forging a path toward boundless opportunities. We are deeply grateful for these contributions.” – Brian O’rourke, Vice President for Advancement

In Clemson Family fashion, supporters joined together to make a profound impact on the University’s strategic plan, Clemson Elevate. Through a variety of giving channels, including traditional mail, telephone calls, online transactions via the new Give Day website and in-person contributions collected by dedicated volunteers and campus personnel at select campus locations, the significance of Give Day resonated deeply with students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University.

“We are thrilled to announce the overwhelming success of Clemson’s ninth annual Give Day marathon. Every dollar given holds the power to make a meaningful difference, each one a testament to the collective impact of individual generosity.” – Ann Batson Smith, Executive Director of Annual Giving

This year, two major gifts included a nearly $100,000 gift from Dr. Andrea M. Danforth ’01 to support scholarships for the College of Veterinary Medicine and a $250,000 gift from Mark Wasserman ‘82 and Rebekah Wasserman ’85 for the Power of One Challenge.

“I give to Clemson because Clemson gave me such a strong start educationally and has contributed to my success as a veterinarian,” Danforth said. “I believe we can do great things at Clemson and bring fresh, new voices to the agricultural sciences.”

The Wassermans chose to support faculty because “we know that attracting and retaining the most talented scholars will ensure that our Clemson students are best prepared to make a positive impact in the world.”

Collectively, the donations will:

• Facilitate scholarships to draw the most gifted individuals to Clemson.
• Allocate resources to attract and retain distinguished faculty for pioneering research initiatives.
• Enhance Clemson’s infrastructure to accommodate the needs of the campus.
• Curate outstanding Clemson experiences for the next generation of Tigers.

Harry Bouknight Jr. ’74 said, “My education at Clemson has afforded me great opportunities to work around the world and touch many others as I go. As an alumnus of Clemson, I see it as an honor and a privilege to give back to help others achieve opportunities as I have.”

Last year’s Give Day brought in a total of $1,884,312 million in cash and new pledges from 4,182 donors.