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Lindsey Wilson University 'All In' Raises $838,252 to Support Students

The two-day campaign helps 'build a stronger U' thanks to more than 760 donors.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (09/25/2025) — The first year of the "All In" campaign at Lindsey Wilson University was an impressive one.

In 48 hours, the "All In" campaign raised $838,252 from more than 760 donors during Sept. 23-24. That eclipsed last year's total by more than $58,000, which was raised when the school was Lindsey Wilson College.

"We're incredibly thankful for the outpouring of support we received once again from alumni, friends, businesses, faculty, staff and students over this two-day period," said Lindsey Wilson Director of Annual Giving Travis Smith '05. "It's just amazing what Lindsey Wilson means to our alumni, employees and friends. Their love for and faith in this university is remarkable. Donations made to the university during 'All In,' and throughout the year, help us deliver the Lindsey Wilson mission to every student, every day."

Smith said the university also received a great deal of local support during the two-day campaign.

"Lindsey Wilson is blessed to have wonderful support from its local community, and that really showed once again this year," said Smith. "We received a great deal of support from Columbia Mayor Pam Hoots, from local businesses and organizations, and from residents of Columbia-Adair County who are proud to have a great university in their town."

The theme of this year's campaign was "Building a Stronger U," and Smith said that's exactly what money raised during this year's "All In" effort will help achieve. Money raised during "All In" will be used to support a myriad of student needs, including academic programs, cocurricular enrichment opportunities and scholarship aid.

"Gifts of all sizes enrich the lives of our student body and the academic and cocurricular programs we offer them," said Smith. "Higher participation obviously means more support for our students, and it also sets us up for long-term success because higher alumni giving rates also strengthen our efforts to secure more grants to support the university."

Zachariah Lawson '26 of Williamsburg, Kentucky, said the support he has received through the "All In" campaign not only made it possible for him to attend Lindsey Wilson but also to experience the university's robust academic and cocurricular programs.

"I've been able to do things, go places and experience things at Lindsey Wilson that I never thought would be possible," said Lawson, who is an English major.

Jakob Beckley '20 said the experiences that Lindsey Wilson students such as Lawson have received are a big reason he continues to support "All In."

"It's always an opportunity for us to give back to our alma mater and collectively do that as a team over those two days," said Beckley, of Pleasureville, Kentucky, who is president-elect of the Lindsey Wilson National Alumni Association. "It's a good reminder that when we all come together, we can raise a lot of money for a university we all care about deeply."

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

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This year’s Lindsey Wilson University “All In” campaign raised $838,252 from more than 760 donors -- more than $58,000 that was raised last year.

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