Dear Fellow Eagles and Friends,

Giving Joy Day 2026 was a memorable way to celebrate Eastern’s 144th birthday and its single greatest scholarship fundraising event of the year! Our thanks go out to everyone who made this day a success!

Over the course of the two-day giving fest, our Eagle community came together to raise a total of $403,795 to support Eastern’s hardworking students.

This year’s Kickoff at the Catalyst was marked by another fun game show – Password – starring deans and representatives of Eastern’s four colleges and hosted by the College of Health Sciences and Public Health’s own Brian Donahue, with the help of Swoop.

Eagle donors embraced our new Giving Joy Day donation page, contributing to matches and challenges that increased the impact of their donations. For instance, “Midnight Madness” rewarded the last five donations made just before midnight on April 2 and April 3, giving those donors $144 each to put toward a fund of their choosing.

EWU employees and board members “Swooped In” for a fundraiser that temporarily named their favorite campus landmarks – including buildings, benches and water fountains. Those generous gifts raised $14,000 for the Student Emergency Fund, which helps Eagles experiencing an unforeseen hardship.

Thank you so much for your enthusiastic support of our students – and for Giving Joy!

Linda Safford 
Senior Director, Annual Giving | University Advancement | Eastern Washington University

Building the Future

Math Professor ‘Swoops In’ to Make a Difference

A Giving Joy Day fundraiser that temporarily named everything from water fountains and coffee makers to flag poles and buildings gave an Eastern mathematician a chance to honor his parents while supporting a great cause.

Learn More

Eagle Impact

Scholarship Honors Compassionate Educator

Eastern alumnus John Delbridge took on the tough role of teaching at-risk teenagers, helping some to turn their lives around. A new scholarship in his name paves the way for future educators to make a difference for kids.

Read More

EWU’s Art and Design Programs are Merging

Design is moving from its Spokane Catalyst digs to create a new learning center inside Isle Hall – a hip retro-building on the Cheney campus. Donors have established funds to support programs, activities and student scholarships.

Read More

Meet Sam Caruso, a Budding Fisheries Expert

Whether you choose to give to scholarships, the Student Emergency Fund, or applied learning in a laboratory, you are helping to build a future for hardworking students like Sam.

Working toward a career as a fisheries expert, Sam says scholarships are helping him gain vital experience. (Learn more about Sam on our Giving Stories page.)

Explore Ways to Give

Dear Friends,

Donors like you power the hands-on opportunities that prepare Eastern graduates to launch into career‑track roles. Over the past eight years, EWU supporters have come together to give more than $36 million to ensure Eastern students can access applied learning experiences. Thank you for this life-changing support!

Consider the difference this makes for students like Jessica Avalos. Jessica is independently funding her college education while juggling the demands of nursing school and long shifts as a barista. The Proud Eagle Nursing Scholarship—created by alumni to honor our health care heroes—changed everything. The support allowed her to trade operating an espresso machine for working as a nursing technician, accelerating her professional development and helping to alleviate a nursing shortage.

Your investment in students like Jessica pays dividends that span a multitude of lifetimes. Because Eastern graduates deploy their skills to strengthen workplaces and communities – and even save lives.

Thank you for investing in our Eagles!

Laura Thayer MSC ’19
AVP for Philanthropy, EWU | Interim Executive Director, EWU Foundation

Building the Future

Delta Dental Makes $1 Million Gift to Bolster EWU Dental Programs

Delta Dental’s generous gift will help create an EWU dental education hub in Spokane’s University District. The hub will provide hands-on learning that addresses a workforce shortage while providing affordable dental care to people in need.

Learn More

Eagle Impact

Occupational Therapy Students Thank Bill Youngs For His Kindness

Eastern’s longtime history professor and champion of national parks is back in action after a serious health scare. Youngs, who credits knowledgeable occupational therapists for helping him overcome obstacles and get back on his feet, created a scholarship fund to help Eastern’s budding OTs earn their degrees.

Read More

Design Students Work With Itron Experts on Innovative Sign Project

With a wood background, colorful acrylic ribbons and a QR code linking to Itron’s job posting site, this isn’t your typical recognition sign. EWU students say being involved in this applied learning project helped develop skills that enabled them to land professional jobs right out of college.

Read More

Giving Joy Day is April 2-3

In 2016, EWU Foundation team members Pat Spanjer and Kelli Hills created Giving Joy Day, which raises funds to create opportunities for students.

Over the past nine years, Eastern Eagles have come together to help countless students better afford college, manage emergencies, and gain vital applied learning experiences that lead to good-paying jobs. Thank you so much for this life-changing support!

Although Pat recently retired after 21 years at Eastern, her legacy continues. Join in the Giving Joy Day movement by sharing a social media post, spreading the word and/or making a gift.

Visit EWU / Give to learn how you can help or explore giving options that build a legacy at ewulegacy.org.

Explore Ways to Give

Building the Future

Crowdfunding Has Students ‘Diving’ for Success

Crowdfunding has arrived at Eastern. With your support, we can make a difference! Our dedicated student lifeguards are raising money for a new diving board at the EWU Aquatics Center. Together, we can turn this dream into reality!

Learn More

Eagle Impact

EWU Relaunches Office of Community Engagement

The hub for volunteerism and internships provides students with hands-on experience while filling vital needs for our local communities.

Read More

Student Volunteers Make Science ‘Spooky’ for Kids

More than 100 students from the College of STEM gave local schoolchildren a reason to love science during this free community-focused event.

Read More

Hello, Eastern Eagles!

The EWU Alumni Association is proud to carry forward one of our most meaningful traditions – the Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

Created to celebrate the lasting bond between Eastern and our alumni families, this scholarship supports children and grandchildren of EWU graduates as they create their own Eastern Eagle stories.

Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends – and through revenue-generating programs like the Eagle Flights Wine Club, Alumni Adventures, and EWU License Plates – we now award scholarships to 23 legacy students a year.

These scholarships help our students offset the cost of their education and focus on what matters most: learning, growing – and developing skills for success.

Each recipient carries forward a piece of our shared history, building on the experiences of the generations that came before them. Your support ensures the Eagle legacy remains strong for years to come.

Visit our EWU Alumni Legacy Scholarship fund page to learn how you can help.

Thanks for your support – and Go Eags!

Kelsey

Kelsey Hatch-Brecek | Director of Alumni Relations
Eastern Washington University

Building the Future

Naming Gift Supports Students While Honoring a Legacy of Service

Dave Millet, founding director of EWU’s award-winning Veterans Resource Center, was preparing to retire when he received the surprise of a lifetime. A generous alumni couple made a major gift to support veteran and military-connected students, while ensuring Millet is forever remembered for his outstanding work.

Meet Dave

Eagle Impact

Generous Supporter Steps Up For Students

During a time of uncertainty for federal funding, the Krumble Foundation is building upon its commitment to Eastern students by offering five years of funding for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) to ensure these first-generation students have the tools to succeed.

Learn More

Lost for Decades, Veteran’s Ring Finds Its Way Home!

William P. Wall, a standout Eastern Washington State College linebacker, ROTC member and budding high school teacher, didn’t come home from Vietnam. His recently recovered ring brought to light a story of love, loss and a rich tapestry of Eastern-inspired relationships.

Read the Story

Create Your Legacy

August was Make-a-Will Month! It’s not too late to create your legacy by using this free online will-making tool designed for our EWU community. If your plans include the EWU Foundation, please let us know.

Explore Ways to Give

Hello Eagles,

From the kickoff at the Spokane Catalyst on April 2 until the final donation came in at midnight on April 3, Giving Joy Day was a spirited celebration of Eagle generosity.

The announcement of our first gift, given by beloved History Professor Bill Youngs to establish the Youngs Endowment for National Parks Studies, jump started 1,882 minutes of giving.

Your generosity helped establish an Occupational Therapy Fund, provide support for our student-athletes through the Eagle Athletic Fund, ensure students have access to affordable, hands-on learning through the University Scholarship Fund – and far more.

Moreover, several donors revealed plans to provide long-term future support for EWU through their estates. These planned gifts, generous sales of appreciated stock, and birthday gifts ranging from $14.30 to $1,430 totaled a whopping $910,554 – well surpassing our $550,000 goal!

Thank you for supporting EWU and sharing your joy with deserving students!

Linda Safford | Senior Director of Annual Giving
EWU University Advancement

Building the Future

EWU Receives National Kudos for Student Outcomes

Eastern received a major shout-out as the only university in the region to earn the “Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation as an “Opportunity College and University” in the newest Carnegie Foundation rankings. In a nutshell, that means Eastern changes lives.

Learn More

Eagle Impact

EWU Graduates its First Cohort of Nurses!

This group of nurses is ready to serve. Not only were they the first to complete Eastern’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program — all 40 students who began the program graduated together at EWU’s semester commencement.

Read Their Story

Professionals Become ‘Professors for a Day’

Students enjoyed learning from a dozen talented alumni and friends of the university who taught a class for a day, sharing details about their professions and providing insider tips for future job seekers.

Get Their Advice

Meet the Future

As part of Eastern’s Build Our Future Campaign, we are raising $7M in funds to renovate the football stadium – which was built nearly 60 years ago. The updates will create a more welcoming experience for students, alumni, and other Eastern Eagles’ fans. Visit the Stadium Renovation Fund website to learn how you can help – and GO EAGS!

Explore Ways to Give

Hello, Fellow Eagles,

Spring is in the air!

We have been working on increasing our footprint in the region and following up on all the wonderful gifts received from our launch of Eastern’s first-ever comprehensive campaign, Build Our Future.

We have raised $73M to our $100M goal with your generosity and support. This means close to 5,000 student scholarships and hundreds of paid applied learning opportunities, along with leveraging EWU’s brand position; the region’s polytechnic, to showcase the faculty and student hands-on learning in our communities.

We couldn’t do it without you! In fact, our annual EWU Scholarship Review Night takes place on Thursday, March 13, at 5 p.m. at the Spokane Club, in downtown Spokane.  And, we need volunteers to review applications and help award hundreds of scholarships. Please RSVP here if you’d like to help. Thank you to all of you for building Eastern’s future – now and beyond!

Barb Richey ’92 & ’99 | Vice President and Executive Director
EWU University Advancement and EWU Foundation

Building the Future

Generous Supporters Bring EWU Campus Concert to Life!

It has been more than two decades since the Spokane Symphony teamed up with our student musicians to perform on the Cheney campus. This unforgettable musical experience will include classics and student compositions. We’d love for you to attend!

Learn More

Eagle Impact

Eastern Students Document Downwinder Histories

An Eagle Grant, supported by gifts to the EWU Foundation, allowed a team of history students to tell the untold stories of Hanford Downwinders – stories that are now featured on the National Park Service website.

Learn More

Named Scholarship Inspires Student Success

Returning student Jeff Schell got a much-appreciated boost from the Jerry LeClaire Biology Fund that helped fuel award-winning research as he heads toward graduation.

Learn More

Meet the Future

Giving Joy Day is right around the corner, on April 3. The day not only celebrates EWU’s 143rd birthday, it provides our Eastern Community with opportunities to celebrate – and support – Eastern’s transformational work. Learn how you can make a difference for students by visiting our Giving Joy Day website. Many Eagle supporters also give through their wills. Create your will by using our free online tool: freewill.com.

Explore Ways to Give

Eagle Endnotes

Get Lit! Festival
April 10-13

College of Health Science and Public Health
Celebration of Scholarly Works
April 14-15

EWU Night at The MAC
April 16, 5 p.m.

School of Social Work 50th Anniversary
April 26 | Everett, Washington

Eastern Washington University
Student Research & Creative Works Symposium
May 6-7

Hello, Fellow Eagles,

As the holidays approach, I’m reminded of how grateful our campus community is for amazing supporters like you. Thank you for being part of Eastern – and for pitching in to create life-changing opportunities for students!

You may already know about Build Our Future, the EWU Foundation’s 10-year campaign for Eastern. In October, we transitioned out of the seven-year “silent phase” into the campaign’s final phase. The secret is out!

I’m proud to say our university’s first-ever ‘comprehensive’ campaign has raised $68,415,200 to enhance programs, support special projects, and transform obstacles into opportunities for Eagles.

Sharing stories about students like Sage Norton makes all the difference. Thanks to our generous community, nearly 5,000 scholarships have been awarded so far during the campaign to ensure that Eastern students have access to a life-changing education with applied-learning experiences that prepare them to succeed as working professionals.

With GivingTuesday around the corner, there are even more ways we can come together to make a difference. (Visit our GivingTuesday webpage to learn how you can help.)

Whatever you give, please know we appreciate you!

Best wishes for a happy holiday season – and Go Eags!

Barb Richey ’92 & ’99 | Vice President and Executive Director
EWU University Advancement and EWU Foundation

Building the Future

Fundraising Campaign to Change Lives For Generations

EWU has officially launched the final ‘public phase’ of a comprehensive fundraising effort that is bringing our Eagle community together to build a bright future for our students and university!

Learn More

Eagle Impact

Eastern is Now The Region’s Polytechnic

EWU is expanding on what the university has done so well for so long – connecting students with applied learning experiences that prepare them for workplace success while strengthening communities along the way.

Learn More

EWU Graduate Finds Success as a Dental Hygienist

Carlos Valdovinos says scholarships and applied learning at EWU’s nonprofit Dental Hygiene Clinic paved the way for a career he loves serving patients of all ages at a family dental clinic.

Learn More

Meet the Future

Here are a few of the many students you help when you give to the EWU Foundation.  Whether you make a GivingTuesday gift to support scholarships, experiential learning, programs and hubs for education, or athletics, please know that you make an impact for life.

Learn More

Hello, fellow Eagles!

As we prepare to welcome students for the 2024-25 academic year, and our traditional homecoming celebration, change is in the air.

Soon, the University will launch a strategic plan to chart our path over the next five years while also revealing a brand platform highlighting Eastern’s many strengths. The new branding will differentiate Eastern from other public universities in Washington, while supporting the enrollment, recruitment and retention of students from all backgrounds.

Eastern is building a future with the help of supporters like you – a future that creates life-changing opportunities that propel students like single dad Kevin Uyekawa into high-demand careers.

This means donors, alumni and friends of Eastern have stepped up – and will continue to step up. So, I guess, the secret is out.

In the months ahead, look for a bold presence as we honor Eastern’s humble past and lay the groundwork for our future.

In the meantime, thank you for supporting Eastern – and Go Eags!

Barb

Barb Richey ’92 & ’99 | Vice President and Executive Director
EWU University Advancement and EWU Foundation

Building the Future

Newly Minted Alumni Celebrate Success

Congratulations to our 2024 EWU graduating class! More than 2,100 Eagles participated in the June 16 commencement ceremonies. Supporters like you own a piece of their success!

Meet Some of Our Graduates

Eagle Impact

Cutting-Edge Alumnus is Changing Lives 

Tom Fox ’70, a second-generation Eagle, was on the forefront of computer automation, contributing to advances that benefit today’s companies and consumers. Now Tom and his family are helping the next generation of Eagles find their own success.

Read More

Future Occupational Therapists Practice Pediatrics

EWU master-level students gained hands-on experience working with children with disabilities. They graduated with clinical hours – and helped some amazing kids reach milestones along the way!

Read More

August is National Make-a-Will Month

The EWU Foundation proudly offers a free online will-making tool for our EWU community. If your plans happen to include a gift to the EWU Foundation, please let us know.

Learn More

Dear Friends,

You did it! In 1,882 minutes of celebration on Giving Joy Day, April 3, your gifts to support scholarships and university programs totaled $501,770!

Your generosity expanded an emergency fund that keeps students enrolled even as they experience hard times. You also fully endowed scholarship funds honoring professors Steve Blewett and Sally Winkle, as well as Activist in Residence and Eagle Pride funds.

Thank you for helping to provide transformative learning experiences for Eastern students! 

On June 15, the 2024 class of Eagles will don their caps and gowns and celebrate their achievements in career fields ranging from accounting and education to visual arts. Many are the first in their families to earn a life-changing bachelor’s degree – and they stand ready to make a difference. 

You can help EWU students fulfill their dreams of a college education. Your gift today means more opportunity for tomorrow’s Eagles.

Thank you!

Linda Safford | Senior Director of Annual Giving
EWU University Advancement

Eagle Strong

Every Step of the Way

You’ve made the dream of a college degree a reality for our Eagles, opening doors to a transformational education and providing assistance when hard times threaten their ability to stay on course. We thank you profusely – and so do our students!

Read More

Eagle Impact

Future Teachers Help Kids Become Better Readers

EWU is graduating a class of educators who are well-prepared to help elementary students improve their reading skills, thanks to an experiential capstone at Grant Elementary School.

Learn More

Prairie is Set for Restoration!

Prairie restoration is moving ahead full force after several seasons of student-faculty research charted a sustainable – and cost-effective – path forward. Gifts from generous supporters like you got the tractor engine running!

Read More

Eastern’s Hello Walk has a story to tell. Follow the red brick pathway leading to Showalter Hall and you’ll notice stories – plenty of them.

Short and sweet, the personalized red bricks honor the memories and accomplishments of students, alumni, faculty and staff. You can give a brick as a shout-out to a new graduate, pay tribute to a club or friendship, and even share your own story. The sky is the limit when it comes to honoring Eagles.

Bricks in our historic walkway campaign are available for a donation of $100 for graduating seniors and their families; $200 for alumni and individuals, and $500 for corporations.

Learn more by visiting our Brick Campaign webpage.

Happy Valentine’s Month, Eagles!

I want to share a fun story of philanthropy and love with you this go around of Eagles Give.

Did you know that quite a few students meet their forever person while on campus or as alumni out in the world? We have thousands of couples who share Eagle-inspired love stories.

Jon and Karen Heimbigner, longtime supporters featured in the story below, are preparing to celebrate their 53rd year of marriage in June. Another alumni couple recently shared that they loved their time at Eastern so much, they also want to give back by creating an endowment – and did so in three payments. At EWU, to begin an endowment fund is $5,000, and it costs $25,000 to build out an endowed named fund. (Visit our Ways to Give webpage to learn more.)

Speaking of ways to give…Please mark your calendar for Giving Joy Day on April 3. Our goal is to raise $500,000 to help students realize a life-changing degree.

Thank you for being a well-loved member of our Eastern community – and go Eags!

Barb

Barb Richey ’92 & ’99 | Vice President and Executive Director
EWU University Advancement and EWU Foundation

P.S. Visit our Giving Joy Day website to learn how you can help.

Eagle Strong

Alumni Sweethearts Share a Love of Eastern

Jon and Karen Heimbigner are familiar faces to many. The longtime businessman and high school teacher have made a difference for others throughout their 53-year marriage. Now, after decades of giving to EWU, the couple have taken their philanthropy to the next level with a large gift that established the Jon and Karen Heimbigner Scholar Athlete Fund.

Read More

Eagle Impact

Risograph Machine Sparks Artistic Wave at EWU

Funders stepped up to help EWU’s Design Department purchase a unique ‘digital screen printer’ out of Japan and to fund four rotating residencies. The resident artists will unlock the creative potential of this unusual machine and share what they learn with students and the larger community.

Read More

Professor’s Legacy Has Touched Generations of Students

When Gwen Cash-James came to work at Eastern last year, little did she know that one of her duties would be to oversee the awarding of the Florence and Earle Stewart Endowment. As a student, in the mid 1990s, Cash-James herself received two classics from the fund – books she cherishes to this day.

Read More

Giving Joy Day – Eagles Like You to the Rescue!

On Wednesday, April 3, EWU will celebrate our annual Giving Joy Day. 

This year, Eagles will once again be out in full force for Giving Joy Day. As always, this red-and-white holiday is about raising funds that open doors for an affordable, transformational education for students of all backgrounds.

We are grateful for your support! We invite you to join us in contributing to scholarship and program funds on April 3. Your gift will provide opportunities and eliminate roadblocks for hardworking students like Jessica Avalos and Brooklyn Parkey, who will go on to make a difference in our community.

Visit our Giving Joy Day website to meet future nurses Jessica and Brooklyn and learn how you can get involved. 

Eagle Endnotes

Alumni G.O.L.D.
Graduates of the Last Decade Paying it Forward 

Big Sky Championships, March 9-13
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams to Compete

Eastern Magazine Fall/Winter Issue Online
Eagle News for You