UHV sees record-breaking support on Giving Tuesday
When Kira Mudd realized how many donations the University of Houston-Victoria received Dec. 3 during its fourth annual Giving Tuesday campaign, she could hardly believe it.
“I was blown away by the results,” said Mudd, the director of alumni relations and annual giving. “We are so grateful for the incredible support that everyone has shown for UHV.”
The university received a little more than $52,000 from 530 individual donors for the campaign, more than double the amount received in 2018. Donors included the university’s employees, UHV alumni, students and businesses as well as community members.
The total raised includes a $7,500 challenge donation from KMH Wealth Management LLC. The company challenged UHV to raise donations from 250 or more donors during the campaign to receive the donation. This was the second year the company has been a Giving Tuesday challenge sponsor for the university.
“I could not be more proud of or grateful to our diverse and growing donor base,” said Jesse Pisors, UHV vice president for advancement and external relations. “From alumni to community members and from UHV employees and students to local and regional businesses and foundations, philanthropic support for UHV is growing quickly. I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my team in the advancement office and to the many volunteers without whom we would not have had such a successful Giving Tuesday.”
Donations were received online and were collected at four stations on campus in addition to locations at Chick-fil-A, Crossroads Bank and The Box Coffee Bar on Laurent Street. The first donation UHV received was made online at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, and donations were still trickling in past 11:30 p.m. that day, Mudd said. Gifts ranged in size from $1 to $11,000.
“It is so inspiring when we see the community show up and show support for our students and university,” Mudd said. “At the end of the day, it is support that benefits the whole region. I am proud to be a part of this community. We have a lot to look forward to in the future.”
Donors had the opportunity to choose what area of the university would receive their donation. This year, 62 UHV programs, scholarships and departments received donations. Several areas receiving a high volume of gifts included the student food pantry, the general scholarship fund, UHV Esports and UHV Athletics. Twenty-one UHV scholarship funds received donations totaling $41,035.
“The Victoria community has again shown how much it supports UHV and the students who are here to receive a quality higher education, and we are grateful for the generosity,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “We are truly blessed to have a growing community of support as we continue to grow as a university.”
UHV alumna and Victoria attorney Diane Kliem donated to the general scholarship fund this year because she sees great leaders and great things happening at the university that can make UHV a destination university.
“If UHV were to achieve that, and I believe they are well on their way to do so, it would help create an even better economy in Victoria with more and better restaurants, services and retail opportunities; a bigger and better pool of qualified workforce; and even more social and leadership opportunities for businesses and business owners,” Kliem said. “I am so proud to be a UHV alumna and to be able to help this university any way that I can. I encourage Victoria and the entire Crossroads area to invest in UHV and its future in our community.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
