Sharing Messaging
Share your message for WWU Give Day
We’re so excited that you are fundraising and sharing the success of your program, club or sport with the WWU community.
This toolkit is designed to help you showcase the fund that you're asking people to support. From Ambassador training to sample emails and social media posts, there's a lot here. You don't have to read it all. Use what helps you!
Share what WWU Give Day means to you, and that people can make a bigger difference for Western students on this day than other days of the year.
Thank you for participating in WWU Give Day!
How to be an Ambassador
This video from last year is still relevant for 2026. It will show you how to sign up to be an Ambassador, and how to use the Give Day platform to spread the word about WWU Give Day as an Ambassador. Thank you for your help!
Ambassador sign up note
When you sign up, select the referred page for the area you want to share. You'll get a link to share which tracks donations that come through that link!
Each ambassador account gets one link to share. You can have multiple ambassador accounts!
This Year the top WWU Give Day Ambassador will win matching dollars to designate to the fund of their choice!
Sign up now and share your unique link for a chance to win!
Skip to a section
- Ambassador training video
- Voice and tone
- Call to action
- WWU: Who we are and where we're going
- Write your WWU Give Day emails
- Sample Give Day email
- Sample texts
- Sample social media posts
- Elevate your story with facts and stats
- Email writing prompts
- Develop a case for support
- Use the WWU Give Day visual assets
- After WWU Give Day
Mission
Make a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive student success.
Vision
Western Washington University prepares and inspires individuals to explore widely, think critically, communicate clearly and connect ideas creatively to address our most challenging needs, problems and questions.
Values
- Commitment to student success, critical thought, creativity and sustainability
- Commitment to equity and justice, and respect for the rights and dignity of others
- Pursuit of excellence in an environment characterized by principles of shared governance, academic freedom and effective engagement
- Integrity, responsibility and accountability in all our work
Voice and tone of WWU Give Day
- Optimistic
- Community oriented
- Emphasis on the learning and growing that is unique to Higher Education
WWU Give Day is a celebration of Western’s values and our students’ potential. Western stands out in our commitment to inclusivity and innovation.
We lead with gratitude: for Western’s place in our state, and for the generous legacy of our alumni, parents and community who make significant gifts to Western. They minimize the burden of student debt, ensure a whole-student academic experience, and push forward essential research.
We love to showcase our students and the programs that are daring to take on big challenges. In every area of study, they change lives for the better. The tone of our communications is confident but humble, ambitious, and always welcoming.
Call to action
Make a Gift on Give Day
As a member of Western’s community, we ask you to join our commitment to making higher education an accessible reality to every student who has a dream of attending Western. WWU Give Day is an annual celebration of our campus culture. It’s also an endorsement of the power and potential of our students and their future contributions to our communities. Give Day is a recognition that no matter where you give – to a building, scholarship, project, or program – you are pushing Western’s values forward and giving students an immersive education.
While we thank donors for their generosity today, we are thankful for the impact they have on our students every day of the year.
Who we are and where we’re going
This year, WWU’s Give Day campaign is focused on highlighting transfer scholarships. Pick the scholarships and students that best match your story and weave them into your emails and posts.
BIG IDEAS:
Committed to Access and Affordability
As a public university, Western is committed to being accessible and affordable to any student who wants to pursue higher education. We believe deeply that our students’ unique experiences and backgrounds are their greatest strengths—it’s what makes our community of inclusive teaching and learning thrive. We share a collective responsibility to make sure that every student has a clear pathway toward a meaningful career. We want our students to be wholeheartedly focused on their learning, not worrying about how they’ll pay for college or whether they’ll be faced with the burden of academic debt.
Bridging Innovation and Compassion
For decades, students have been choosing to come to Western because it is one of the rare universities where a future-driven education is supported by a strong liberal arts philosophy. No matter what college or school a Western student chooses, the tangible skills they build are elevated by our thoughtfulness and ability to consider the social, cultural and environmental impacts of the actions we take. With every generation of students, we deepen our perspectives on what it means to be boldly innovative and compassionate because furthering equity, justice, inclusion and diversity will be our greatest legacy.
More Than a Classroom Education
Students come to Western for more than the experiences and lessons that they learn in the classroom. Like you, they came to Western to foster their curiosity and leadership. Today’s Western students host more than 200 clubs, from the A Capella Club and the Society of Professional Journalists to the Black Student Coalition and the Fencing Club.
On the field and the court, our student-athletes are collaborators and innovators within their sport. At Western, we encourage our athletes to use sport as a steppingstone to their careers and goals.
At Western—The Future Is Now
We’re actively contributing to change and growth right now. At any given moment, Western students and faculty are leading research projects that help us better understand neurological diseases and identify ways to improve early childhood reading and comprehension. In the field, undergraduates and graduate students are supporting faculty partnerships with our state to predict disease susceptibility of our native trees and growing civic engagement.
Write your WWU Give Day emails
Choose one story – What do we mean by one story?
Stories are about a character, a problem, and how the character found resolution to that problem.
Because of the College of the Environments’ Paid Research Internship, I didn’t have to get a summer job in food service. Instead, I spent 8 weeks participating in Puget Sound restoration research projects. Looking ahead to graduation, I know I’ll have real-world experience to build a professional resume.
A few tips:
- Write like you’re talking to a friend.
- Use simple, inspiring language.
- Keep sentences short.
- Avoid writing about topics (e.g., “A lack of green space in urban areas has negative effects. Please help us plant some trees”). Instead, write about people impacted by those topics (e.g., “I grew up in a low-income urban area with little green space. Research shows that leads to disproportionately higher temperature and worse air quality. That means poorer health outcomes for my family and I, and we are struggling now. Please help us fix this for future generations”).
Sample Give Day email
Subject Line: MAKE WAVES for Western today
Hi, [First Name].
This is a BIG day. The one day each year when we channel our collective generosity to celebrate and support the countless ways Western students dream, strive, and achieve remarkable things, in and out of the classroom.
[Now personalize your message with a few sentences about you and your connection to Western.]
If you’re a student
I’m one of those students! [Why did you choose Western? What are you studying? What’s something you’ve learned about your future career, or the person you’re becoming because of your WWU education?]
If you’re a faculty member
I teach those students every day! Students who thrive when challenged to explore widely, think critically, and creatively connect ideas to address the most challenging issues of our time. [Write about how one of the classes you’re teaching now and how your students have amazed you above and beyond your expectations.]
If you’re a parent
I’m the proud parent of one of those students! [Write about your son/daughter/child’s Western experience, what they’re studying, how grateful you are for all the ways Western is contributing to the curious, compassionate, confident problem-solver they’re becoming.]
I’m giving today [or asking you to give] because ___________ is really important to me, and I know that my [or your] gift will [describe the impact you want to make with your gift; be specific (e.g., give more students like me scholarships … open doors for more students to get internships like I did … give our club opportunities to travel and compete at a higher level …]
I’m writing to encourage you to MAKE WAVES for Western today!
Here’s the link where you can donate to WWU Give Day →
Spread the word to your friends and family, neighbors and coworkers. Every gift makes a difference!
Thank you!
Sample texts
Morning
[Name]! It’s WWU Give Day, the one day each year when Western comes together as a community to support students, research, programs, athletics, and clubs across campus. Will you join me in making a gift? wwugiveday.wwu.edu
Midday
There are so many ways you can MAKE WAVES for Western today! I’m showing my WWU Give Day support with a gift to _______. What about you?! wwugiveday.wwu.edu
Evening
There’s still time (but not much!) to make your WWU Give Day gift. Don’t miss this opportunity to MAKE WAVES for Western! wwugiveday.wwu.edu
Night
What a day! Check out how much we’ve raised far: wwugiveday.wwu.edu And make your gift before WWU Give Day ends at midnight!
Sample social media posts
[WWU Give Day 2026 Instagram graphic] It’s WWU Give Day! Time to MAKE WAVES for Western! I’m giving to @[tag team, club, program, etc]. What about you?! (Give Day link in bio)
TikTok
[Record a WWU Give Day video. Have fun with it! Challenge any followers with Western connections to join you in making a gift!]
[Selfie with some WWU flair or WWU Give Day 2026 Facebook graphic] It’s WWU Give Day, the one day each year when Western comes together as a community to support students, research, programs, athletics, and clubs across campus. I’m supporting @[tag team, club, program, etc.] What about you?! wwugiveday.wwu.edu
Our Students
- 28% of students enrolled are students of color or an underrepresented race
- On average, 39% of WWU students graduate having participated in an internship (which often means those students need additional scholarships or stipends to fund their living expenses)
- 85% of WWU students are from Washington
Give Day facts and stats
- More than 3,200 donors participated in our 2024 Give Day.
- Altogether, donors gave more than $1.2 million to more than 150 funds across our campus during Give Day 2024. Can we beat last year?
Our Academics
- 17:1 student to faculty ratio
- 70% of the classes have 30 or fewer students
- 200+ academic programs
- 30+ graduate degree programs
University Stats
- U.S. News & World Report has ranked WWU in the top 10 universities in the West for value and one of the best universities for veterans.
- WWU boasts over 250 student-run clubs and organizations
- Our student-athletes are top performers in their sports—we have numerous conference championships in volleyball, men's and women’s soccer, track & field and cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, and women’s rowing.
Email writing prompts
Use these prompts and example answers to help you focus your campaign. It might take a few drafts before you land on exactly what you want to say.
Who is raising money?
The Marine and Coastal Science (MACS) program
Why does your group exist?
To provide Western students interested in the Earth’s oceans and animals with unique real-world learning opportunities focused on preserving our oceans for future generations.
What do you do?
MACS gives students opportunities to take what we learn in the classroom and put those ideas into action. It’s a full week of immersive education with a focus on research, having fun and problem-solving together.
What is your featured student studying?
Environmental Science and Policy
Who will your emails focus on?
- What is your featured student studying?
- What do they hope to do after graduation?
- Why is this program/group/project important to them?
Jesse – A junior who is studying Environmental Science and Policy and planning to work in freshwater management and restoration.
Last year, Jesse was able to attend the MACS program and learned about river deltas along South Puget Sound.
Participating in MACS means I get to be part of a team and a project that will help us better understand how river delta animal and organism habitats change, especially during years of high and low snowfall in the mountains.
Develop a case for support
Successful email campaigns appeal to human connection and clearly showcase a need.
Use these prompts and sample answers to help you make a case.
What are you asking people to give to? Explain the need your supporters are fulfilling.
This one-week program costs $350 per student. However, many students don’t have enough money to pay for the program. We aim to raise $10,000 to ensure every student accepted to MACS can participate.
What is urgent about the need?
Last year, more than 25 students accepted to the MACS program qualified for financial assistance. But we could only provide 12 students with scholarships and more than half of the students couldn’t participate. We need to ensure every student can join the MACS cohort regardless of their ability to pay.
How will the funds you raise help your group achieve your goal?
We are raising funds to offset some of these costs through reduced course fees and scholarships so all students can follow their dreams of becoming marine scientists, no matter their socioeconomic status.
Why are you grateful for your donors’ support?
Donor support means our students can put their skills to use in the real world. Nothing makes us more excited than to offer students who dream about joining our MACS cohort the chance to grow their educational experience.
Use the WWU Give Day visual assets
Visit our Visual Assets Page to download banners, social media assets, and more!
After WWU Give Day
Saying Thank you is Essential
After you’ve celebrated all of your community’s support for your fund, it’s time to say thank you! Just like the ask for support, your thank you email should highlight how the funds you raised will help you achieve your goals.
Celebrate your total
Thank you to our incredible supporters who helped us raise $4,872 for WWU Give Day!
Celebrate the impact of giving
Because of our generous community, we will be able to cover the cost of 14 students participating in this summer’s Marine Coastal Science program. We’re off to a great start and we will hope to raise even more money so that we can achieve our goal of ensuring that every student accepted to the MACS program can attend, no matter their financial situation.
Celebrate what you’re going to do
For the 2026 summer project, we’re going to study the tide flats of the Nisqually River Delta at the Billy Frank Jr. Wildlife Refuge in Dupont, WA. Our goal is to document the health of the delta by looking at oxygen levels in the water, counting the number of bird species and taking samples of the tidal grass and mud to further study in our lab.
Tip
Share links to your project, program, or team’s website.
Sample Thank You Messages
For use in emails, text messages, social media
Thank you so much for your generosity on WWU Give Day! In all, we raised more than $ [see wwugiveday.wwu.edu for total or reach out to the Western Community Giving team at giving@wwu.edu]. It’s amazing what we can accomplish as a community!
For the 11th year in a row, Western’s community came together for a common cause: to support students, research, programs, athletics, and clubs across campus.
The funds raised on WWU Give Day will have a positive impact on Western students in countless ways: from scholarships and clubs, to teams and projects.
I’m grateful to be part of a community that shows up like we did on WWU Give Day 2026. We made some serious waves together!
Thank you again for your generosity and support.
[your name]
Thank you so much for your generosity on WWU Give Day! In all, we raised more than $ [see wwugiveday.wwu.edu for total or reach out to the Western Community Giving team at giving@wwu.edu]. It’s amazing what we can accomplish as a community!
For the 11th year in a row, Western’s community came together for a common cause: to support students, research, programs, athletics, and clubs across campus.
The funds raised on WWU Give Day will have a positive impact on Western students in countless ways: from scholarships and clubs, to teams and projects.
I’m grateful to be part of a community that shows up like we did on WWU Give Day 2026. We made some serious waves together!
end with
Thank you again for your generosity and support.
[your name]