On November 1, our community stepped up for the 14th annual Give to St. Kate’s Day like never before. We are thrilled to announce that we raised 128 ´ºÓêÖ±²¥ scholarships! 683 donors gave gifts totaling $642,619, making this year’s Give to St. Kate's Day our most successful yet. This community outpouring of Katie pride helps us to establish much-needed scholarships for our beloved Katies.
Both on campus and online, the excitement of the day was palpable. Students, faculty, and staff visited the Give to St. Kate’s Day table in Coeur de ´ºÓêÖ±²¥ (CdC) to take photos with Katie Cat and write thank you notes to our generous donors, while live updates across socials and a giving challenge leaderboard kept our community engaged throughout the day.
For one staff member, Give to St. Kate’s Day was also her very first day on the job. JoNes VanHecke, our new vice president of ´ºÓêÖ±²¥ affairs, was one of the first to contribute to the New Donors Challenge. In describing her motivation to give, VanHecke had this to say: “As I reflect on the values and vision of the institution, I know why I’m so excited to join all of you who are committed to making the Katie experience as meaningful for the current and next generations as it has been for the past.â€
The CdC atrium was filled with ribbons, each representing a donor who gave. And we met our 50 State Challenge, too — a special thank you to St. Kate’s supporters from all 50 states who stepped up to provide vital ongoing support to our hardworking ´ºÓêÖ±²¥s. With your help, we unlocked all challenge and matching funds, making the most of every opportunity to support Katies with the scholarships they need.
November 1 also marked the final day of LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence, St. Kate’s multi-year comprehensive plan to support Our Students, Our Faculty, Our Place, and the Katie Fund. The enormous success of Give to St. Kate’s Day 2023 brought us across the finish line of the campaign with a bang, and we could not be more grateful.
The generosity of each and every one of our Give to St. Kate’s Day donors will power Katies to lead and influence throughout the coming year and well into the future. Thank you.