How WSU Tech Reignited a Culture of Giving with Their 2024 Employee Donor Campaign

At WSU Tech in Wichita, Kansas, our employees are more than educators and staff—they are champions of student success. Every day, over 800 employees dedicate themselves to shaping the future of technical education and workforce development, preparing students for high-demand careers, and strengthening the workforce and economy of Kansas and beyond. This deep commitment to students extends beyond the classroom and campus. This is reflected in the generosity of time and resources given to the WSU Tech Foundation. 

Since its inception, the WSU Tech Foundation has primarily been supported by corporate partners that recognize the value of technical education and invest in our students by hiring them into high-demand careers. However, our employees have long been the backbone of the Foundation’s mission, shaping students’ futures not only in the classroom but also by contributing their own resources to ensure student success. Faculty and staff have consistently demonstrated their dedication, placing their trust in the Foundation to support the students they work with every day. To date, the power of employee giving at WSU Tech has positioned our employees as the single largest group of individual donors to the WSU Tech Foundation. 

A Legacy of Giving 

Employee giving at WSU Tech dates back to 2011, long before the Foundation had dedicated staff. What began as a grassroots effort to send a cohort of Aviation Maintenance Technician students to the MRO Americas competition, with employees asked to contribute $5, soon grew into an ongoing initiative. Many of the employees who participated in that first campaign remain with the college today, still donating to the Foundation, a testament to the deep-rooted culture of giving at WSU Tech. 

From 2011 to 2019, employee donor participation steadily increased, reaching its peak in 2019. However, after 2019, the WSU Tech Foundation experienced an average decline of 9.5% in donors each year. While the total donation amount continued to rise during this time, the decrease in the number of donors became a growing concern. To the Foundation, this decline represented more than just statistics – it indicated how effectively we were educating employees about the Foundation’s impact and how well we maintained the trust of our employee donors. 

This data directly led to a strategic shift in 2024. Rather than focusing on increasing the total funds raised, we prioritized employee engagement and sought to rebuild awareness, trust, and excitement around giving. 

A New Approach in 2024 

Recognizing this trend, the WSU Tech Foundation set a bold goal for 2024: shifting the focus from the dollar amount raised to reigniting a culture of giving among employees. Our aim was to deepen the connection between our employees, the Foundation, and the students whose lives they help shape every day. To achieve this, we prioritized storytelling, transparency, and interactive engagement. 

Key strategies included: 

• Heartfelt Student Success Stories: Employees witnessed firsthand the impact of their contributions through stories of students who benefited from Foundation support via shared thank-you notes and student interviews. 

• Personal Thank-You Moments: Encouraging meetings between employee donors and the students who received their named scholarships–through the Foundation’s annual scholarship luncheon or personal meetings on campus to share a photo and moment of gratitude. 

• Monthly Giveaways: Featuring experiences such as a flight in the WSU Tech Private Pilot Program plane, student-made gifts such as a welded flower bouquet or molded concrete rock, and exclusive opportunities such as dinner at the President’s house or tickets to a suite at our local baseball stadium, these incentives transformed giving into an uplifting experience. 

A major milestone of the 2024 campaign was the creation of the Employee Hardship Fund. This initiative received an overwhelmingly positive response, as employees recognized the significance of supporting not only students but also their fellow colleagues facing unexpected financial challenges. Many donors continued to contribute to student-focused initiatives while also donating to this new fund, further deepening their engagement with the Foundation. 

A Resurgence in Employee Giving 

The results of our revitalized employee giving campaign exceeded expectations. In 2024, we achieved: 

• A 21% increase in employee donors, with 60% of our full-time employees contributing to the Foundation. 

• A 15% boost in funds raised, making 2024 the most successful year of employee participation since the campaign’s inception in 2011. 

Beyond the numbers, this campaign fostered a renewed sense of community and shared purpose. WSU Tech employees demonstrated that giving is not just about financial contributions, it’s about investing in our students’ futures, supporting fellow employees, and reinforcing a culture of giving that strengthens our entire institution. 

The Power of Employee Advocacy 

WSU Tech employees are the Foundation’s greatest advocates, volunteering their time, expertise, and financial resources to advance the college’s mission. Their trust in the Foundation ensures that students have the resources they need to succeed, from scholarships and cutting-edge equipment to emergency financial assistance. The 2024 campaign was not just a fundraising effort; it was a movement that reinforced the bond between employees, students, and the Foundation. 

As we look ahead, the momentum from 2024’s success has carried into 2025. The Foundation’s annual fundraiser, Pull a Plane for Education, saw the highest level of employee engagement in the event’s four-year history. WSU Tech faculty and staff participated in every capacity – attending, competing, and donating. One employee even created their own mini-fundraiser, rallying their colleagues to contribute, with the added fun of donating to see their coworkers get pied in the face! This growing culture of engagement demonstrates that when WSU Tech employees unite, they make an undeniable impact – on students, on each other, and on the future of technical education. 

At the WSU Tech Foundation, our mission is to be the College’s partner in removing financial barriers and empowering students for the advancement of their lives and our region. None of this work would be possible without our dedicated employees–the true champions of student success.