Knox College is taking the opportunity to celebrate the importance of philanthropy during the last week of February. February 26-28 are designed as Donor Thank You Days, which mark  when students' tuition and fees stop paying for the cost of their education and private gift support kicks in.

"The goal of  Donor Thank You Days is to help current students, as well as the entire campus community, better understand the impact that gifts from alumni, parents, and friends have on their education and their daily Knox experience," says Julie Layer, director of the Knox Fund, the College's annual giving program.

The Donor Thank You Days celebration includes the posting of tags across campus highlighting various college operational costs, including the amount to run the College for a single day and the daily grocery bill to feed Knox students. Faculty, staff, and students are wearing Donor Thank You Day t-shirts to raise awareness about the celebration, and the greater campus community also has the opportunity to sign a giant thank you card for Knox's donors. The card and the days' activities will be shared with donors in a special video to be sent later in the week, as well as through Knox's social media channels.

Last year, donors helped Knox set a fundraising record, recording $17.7 million in gifts from alumni, parents, friends, and private organizations to support Knox faculty, students and the College's educational mission. Of that $17 million, $3.6 million was raised for the Knox Fund, or gifts that support the annual operations of the College. Private gift support represents the College's second largest source of income behind tuition and fees.

"Gifts from alumni, parents, and friends support every aspect of academic and student life at Knox," says Layer. "What better way to thank them than to dedicate two days to celebrating their contributions to the College?"

For more information on giving to Knox College, visit www.knox.edu/give.