Monday Update: The Impact of Philanthropy at UW-Parkside
As we gear up for UW-Parkside’s most visible fundraising activity (PARKSIDE DAY, APRIL 15), you’ve been hearing a lot about giving! We wanted to take some time this week to share the “big picture” of philanthropy at UW-Parkside: how donors choose to invest, and the impact their support has on students and the university.
In fiscal year 2019-20, the university and the UW-Parkside Foundation received $1.8 million from more than 1,100 donors. This is exciting to us for a few reasons.
First, it continues our trend of increased philanthropy: including the current FY20-21, donors have contributed more than $1.5 million for four years in a row. Second, despite the pandemic, our donors remain committed to investing in UW-Parkside to help our students succeed.
Our sustained positive results and the national charitable giving outlook give great momentum for the early stages of UW-Parkside’s first comprehensive campaign.
What does philanthropy support at UW-Parkside?
Year after year, donors choose to support scholarships. In 2019-20, more than 400 students received more than $550,000 in donor-funded scholarships, fellowships, and emergency aid. The Future Focus Fund (UW-Parkside’s largest donor-funded, need-based aid source) provided more than 25% of these awards, and it continues to be an important source of student emergency grants in addition to federally-funded COVID relief dollars this year.
We also see the impact of generous donors all around us on campus, literally. A few notable examples:
- Donors have contributed more than $600,000 (and counting!) to the RangerVision 2020 project, which will transform the student athlete experience in the Sports & Activity Center.
- Corporate gifts from SC Johnson and Shimadzu made it possible to outfit the SC Johnson Integrated Science Lab with state of the art scientific equipment.
- The naming gift for the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center – the largest in UW-Parkside’s history to date, $3.5 million – provides a permanent funding source for scholarships, learning opportunities, and improvements in the Rita.
You can see our most recent donor impact report and more stories of giving at uwp.edu/giving.
Thank YOU…
No matter your role at UW-Parkside, YOU are part of our successes in philanthropy. Whether donors support study abroad trips, a department they remember fondly from their student days, an athletic team, or one of the many other areas of the university, they do so because they see the value of investing in UW-Parkside’s students, faculty, staff, and facilities. The work you do to provide quality programs and improve outcomes for students increases donor confidence in UW-Parkside and inspires giving.
Thank you for being our partners in growing philanthropy! We look forward to sharing many more successes in the months and years to come.
Willie Jude II, Vice Chancellor for Advancement
Hannah Wallisch, Director of Development
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STUDENTS SAY IT BEST
Students share the impact of philanthropy on their UW-Parkside experience:
Zaydi, Future Focus Fund
“I am majoring in Applied Health Sciences and minoring in business. I chose this major because I aspire to be a pediatrician and give back to my community.
About a week before the fall semester started, my family suffered from the aftermath of the civil unrest due to a shooting in Kenosha. My family used to own a convenience store and a restaurant and unfortunately the building that they were located in was set on fire. We lost our livelihood in just a blink of an eye and we were devastated... We are so grateful that my fall tuition was all covered and that was something we did not have to worry about. I’m so grateful I didn’t have to sit this year out of school.”
Frank, Frank & Corinne Petretti Endowed Scholarship
“I am currently a senior at UW-Parkside studying marketing with a sales certificate. I have been in a competitive internship program at Northwestern Mutual since January 2020 and have enjoyed every second of working there. When I graduate in May, I intend to go full-time at Northwestern Mutual where I will continue to use the education that I have received at Parkside.
Not only has your generosity helped me with funding my education, it has shown me that people like you are willing to invest in the young professionals in your community, which only motivates me further to succeed.”