One Big Give brings in more than $360k for students

Tuesday, November 7th was one big day for students at University of the Cumberlands. The university’s annual Give Day – this year, nicknamed One Big Give – brought in $360,120 to fund student scholarships, workship positions, athletics, ministries, and more. Of that amount, $225,120 came from individual donors, with an additional $135,000 in matching gifts. 

“The generosity of our donors on One Big Give Day was simply incredible,” said Bill Stohlmann,” Vice President of Development at Cumberlands. “Donors bridge the gap between students and a college education. Many students are only able to attend college because the workship or merit scholarships they qualify for bring college within their financial reach. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to our students’ success on Give Day. Your generosity genuinely changes lives!”

As with every Cumberlands Give Day, 100 percent of the money raised for One Big Give will go toward students and university initiatives that benefit the campus and the local community. A total of 1,987 donors gave nearly 1,900 gifts during the campaign Tuesday. 

It’s because of donors that many students can attend Cumberlands in the first place, and the benefit goes beyond scholarships. The school hosts programs like Mountain Outreach, which improves the community through housing repairs, new homes, and meals; Shoes 4 the Soul, an annual event that provides new shoes, socks, and hygiene items to local schoolchildren in need; and work opportunities on campus that give students real-world skills and prepare them for lives of servant-leadership. 

The majority of donations went toward athletics programs, with many alumni and friends of the university helping to surpass that overall goal to raise over $112k. Academic departments and student scholarships combined for more than $65k raised. The Class of 2023 raised the most funds throughout the Class Year challenge, followed by the Class of 2010. 

The students, staff, and faculty at Cumberlands are thankful to everyone who contributed to One Big Give Day. Thanks to donors, the lives of students and alumni will be transformed for generations!