Emporia State raised a record-breaking $321,049.63 in its fifth annual Day of Giving. The amount tops the $99,000 in donations ESU received in 2025.
Despite the 2025 record being less than $100,000, the ESU foundation aimed for a 2026 goal of $250,000 and a stretch goal of $300,000, according to Brandy Clarke, ESU Foundation assistant director for annual giving.
“We chose our initial goal because we wanted to aim high,” Clarke told The Bulletin in an email. “Yes, it was aspirational, given last year we did not top $100,000. But, Hornet Nation came together and we topped both goals! We believed and trusted that Hornet Nation would step up to the plate if we generated the excitement and the value of an event like Day of Giving.”
The Day of Giving officially commenced on Feb. 11, but early giving opened on Feb. 4, which allowed donors a week to make their gifts. Clarke reported that 698 individual donors contributed to the 2026 Day of Giving making 840 gifts. The average donation size was $321 and the largest gift was $25,000 according to the Day of Giving website.
This year, donors had the opportunity to choose what programs or scholarships they wanted to support, something Clarke said has not been done in the past. Donors could choose between any school, sport or scholarship fund, or they could donate to the general “Unrestricted Giving Fund”.
Each school and program assessed their greatest funding priority and will use the raised funds in those areas.
“This approach recognized that many Hornets have connections to more than one part of campus,” said Clarke. “Someone might have been a student-athlete and a Music major and now they didn’t have to choose. Donors could support multiple areas that shaped their ESU experience, and many did.”
Several fundraising targets had “match challenges,” meaning donations to these programs had double the impact. Men’s basketball, women’s basketball, Phi Delta Theta and Future Teachers Testing Fee were among some of the match challenges that were completed.
Clarke credits ESU and the Foundation’s “bold, all-in approach” for their record-breaking success this year. Aside from giving donors the opportunity to personalize their gifts, the University also focused on increasing its outreach and visibility, online giving page and social media presence.
To increase visibility and outreach, ESU strengthened communication via email, reached out to local media and posted up a billboard and multiple signs around campus and the city of Emporia. These initiatives “helped build momentum and excitement” for the event, Clarke said.
The Day of Giving webpage “allow(ed) donors to see their impact in real time” as well. Supporters could see donation numbers rise throughout the day, and Clarke said that virtual confetti burst across the page each time a gift was made. This all made for a more interactive experience for donors.
Social media ambassadors from each program utilized online platforms to spread the word about the Day of Giving. Social media was “at the heart” of the campaign, according to Clarke.
The 2026 success has inspired the Foundation and university to set their sights even higher for next year. There is a plan to bring the excitement to campus with a “hub” in Memorial Union that will allow faculty, staff and students to see the support in real time, said Clarke.
“We could not have done this without Hornet Nation,” she said. “Our donors included alumni, faculty, staff, students, friends of the university, and community members who all came together for one purpose: to strengthen Emporia State University. Because of their generosity, current students will see impact through scholarships, programs, and campus enhancements. And future Hornets who haven’t even set foot on campus yet will benefit from opportunity created on Day of Giving. That is the power of coming together for a common purpose.”
