Rise Together Annual Giving Campaign FAQs

Rise Together is Cumberland University’s annual giving campaign. This annual initiative provides current-use, operating funds which support student resources and help improve the overall student experience which is not covered by tuition, state funding, or our endowment. The annual giving campaign works in collaboration with other campus funding efforts to ensure Cumberland remains competitive.

Rise Together helps fund resources students rely on every day, improving campus wifi connection, offering diverse mental health counselors, providing subscriptions to library database systems, tutoring, and career services. These important student resources, while costly, are necessary to eliminate barriers that prevent students from successfully earning a degree.

The funds raised go towards the greatest need and help us keep our promise to students of providing a quality, affordable education to students from all backgrounds, including those who can not afford the full cost of our tuition.

All students directly benefit from these funds because it supports their day-to-day life on campus and equips them with the resources necessary for success after graduation. Faculty and staff also benefit from summer professorships and Cumberland helping retain them. Every gift given by donors who believe in Cumberland’s mission helps improve the quality of student life and enhances the institutional reputation.

The Rise Together Annual Giving Campaign goal is $900,000 with a goal of 100% giving participation from our Board of Trust, CU Alumni Association, and faculty and staff.

Gifts to the Annual Fund are the most direct way to make an impact on the educational experiences CU Phoenixes are having right now. Your gift goes to work immediately ensuring student resources and other necessities go unaffected as the university expands to meet the needs of our growing student population. Your gift helps Cumberland remain competitive and true to its mission promise to its students.

Gifts of any size directly impact the student experience. Your gift together with thousands of others helps us meet the university’s greatest needs every year. Just imagine the difference we can make if each of Cumberland’s 13,814 active alumni gave to the annual giving fund!

As an alum, your participation in annual giving helps safeguard the value of your degree. Annual gifts, however small or large, are an important income stream that directly supports the greatest need of the university. In addition, when the university applies for grants, alumni giving can directly influence grant committees’ decisions. It is often encouraging for large donors, foundations, and corporations who are deciding whether or not to partner with the university to see high levels of alumni giving. 

No. The annual giving fund is essential in bridging that gap between the expenses of effectively operating the university and other sources of revenue.

At Cumberland, like most universities, tuition does not cover all necessary expenses to provide students with the resources and experiences we believe they deserve. Rise Together provides coverage between yearly tuition and the cost of providing all of the on-campus amenities they need to obtain a college degree.

Cumberland University is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 (c)(3). This makes all of your contributions tax deductible by law.

You can donate to Cumberland University in a variety of ways. These include: online, through the mail, over the phone, an estate gift, by making a gift of stocks or bonds, or by payroll deductions if you are a current employee at Cumberland University.

Yes. If your employer matches philanthropic gifts you can double your impact by enrolling in their matching gift program. Your Human Resources office can provide you with the appropriate gift forms and information to designate Cumberland as your gift recipient. 

Please contact our Advancement Office at advancement@cumberland.edu or 615-547-1269.