Giving Tuesday 2025: Give $18 or More in Honor of Someone Who Inspired You
A Southern Scholars Initiative Celebration of Gratitude
Say Thank You to the One Who Inspired You With a Gift That Changes Lives
Southern Scholars was created from love.
In 2019, this organization began as a tribute to Dr. Doretha Pressey and Clara Mae Coleman, two remarkable women whose faith, courage, and belief in education shaped the lives of everyone around them. Their legacy continues today through every Southern Scholar we support.
This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in that same spirit of love and gratitude.
Give $18 (or more) in honor of someone who inspired you
A parent.
A mentor.
A teacher.
A pastor.
A loved one whose belief in you changed your life.
When you give in their name, you not only uplift a Southern Scholar —
you carry forward the legacy of the person who shaped you.
Why $18?
The number 18 carries deep meaning for Southern Scholars:
- $18 supports a Scholar for one full day
- Our scholarship program provides $18,000 over four years
- Many students begin college at age 18
- And February 18 is Dr. Doretha Pressey’s birthday, now celebrated as Dr. Doretha Pressey Day, a day of service and giving
Your gift helps ensure that students from rural, overlooked communities have the support, stability, and encouragement they need to succeed.
Your Gift Makes a Real Impact
Every contribution — whether $18, $36, $180, or more — helps Southern Scholars provide:
- Scholarship funding
- Emergency support
- Books and essential academic materials
- Safe transportation
- Food and housing stability
- Mentorship and guidance
Your generosity helps our Scholars stay enrolled, stay focused, and stay on track to graduate on time and debt-free.
A Living Tribute: The Gratitude Garden
Every Giving Tuesday donation made in someone’s honor will be added to our Virtual Gratitude Garden, a beautiful digital space celebrating the names and legacies of those who inspired your gift.
And beginning this spring, we will begin creating a real Gratitude Garden in Denmark, SC, filled with sunflowers — a lasting symbol of hope, resilience, and the love that began Southern Scholars.
Help Us Grow What We Started Together
Since 2019, our community has helped us support:
- 20 Scholars across North and South Carolina
- 100% graduation rate, on time or early
- Average GPA above 3.4
- Over $350,000 in scholarships and support awarded
- Zero student debt for every Scholar
Your Giving Tuesday support helps us continue this work with strength and stability in challenging times.
Make Your Gift in Someone’s Honor
Whether you give $18 or $180, your generosity creates opportunity — and your tribute celebrates the people whose love made you who you are.
Thank you for helping us continue the legacy of Dr. Doretha Pressey and Clara Mae Coleman, and for believing in our Scholars.