Now, students and faculty are beginning to reap the benefits of the Campaign’s success in the forms of new facilities and new programs. Campaign coordinators are calling it “Resources to Results,” and it’s an opportunity for current and prospective donors to see the Campaign’s tangible returns.
The reaction, said Mark Jones, dean for College Advancement, has been encouraging.
“Everyone is just wowed by what they see,” Jones said. What they’re seeing are a half-dozen new or refurbished campus facilities – including the Allen Athletics Center, the new science facility, the new MXI, and multiple fraternity construction projects – as well as new student immersion programs, internships, and scholarships.
Aside from those results, Wabash had “one heck of a fall,” Jones said. A championship football team, higher national rankings and increased publicity made Wabash more visible and appealing to prospective donors.
“People like to back a winner and Wabash is a winner on all fronts right now,” Jones said.
Since last August, donors have backed Wabash to the tune of more than $10 million, raising the Campaign’s total from $103.5 million to $113.8 million. The current total is almost $14 million above the Campaign’s original $100 million goal.
During the last six months, the Campaign met or exceeded matching grant challenges from Lilly Endowment Inc. that offered 38 Indiana colleges and universities one dollar for every donated dollar up to $1 million from trustees and $3.25 million from alumni, parents and students. Another matching $250,000 challenge is currently in progress for faculty and staff contributions.
But it is not the amount of contributions that astounds Joe Emmick, director of major gifts; it’s the pace.
The trustee challenge was completed “almost as soon as they could be informed,” Emmick said, making Wabash one of the first three schools in the state to meet its goal. As of last December’s deadline, only 18 of the 38 participating institutions met or surpassed the $1 million goal.
Similarly, the alumni and student/parent goals were met last December, a full year ahead of deadline.
Those surges of participation have the Campaign on pace for raising $12.5 million this year, 37 percent ahead of last year’s tempo.
Even with these recent successes and the emergence of tangible results from Campaign programs, Emmick is cautious to celebrate early.
“If we’re going to sustain these results across campus for any period of time we have to keep these numbers up,” Emmick said. Major gifts, he said, are usually made from appreciated stock, and with few stocks appreciating in the sluggish US economy, large pledges are harder to come by.
“Donors are very pleased with the state and strength of the College,” Emmick said. “But when it comes to pulling the trigger on big gifts it takes them a little more time.”
While potential major donors are taking a little more time to make their philanthropic decisions, the College does have some immediate needs. The Greater Wabash Foundation, the College’s annual fund that represents over 7% of the school’s operating budget, has a goal of $3 million and a top ten national participation rate. While the GWF is ahead of last year’s pace on both fronts it trails the pace necessary to reach those goals by June 30, 2003.
“The GWF represents the College’s on-going, baseline fundraising,” Emmick said. Whether or not Wabash is engaged in a capital campaign, the GWF will represent an immediate fundraising need. “We understand if donors need some time to think through major commitments; however, while they are making those decisions we want them to renew, resume, or begin their support for the GWF by June 30.”
Emmick believes there are three things Wabash’s donors and potential donor should always keep in mind:
• Wabash College is operating from a position of strength and the Campaign for Leadership has already created unprecedented opportunities for students and faculty.
• The progress to date is also unprecedented; however, if Wabash is to ensure that state of the art facilities and innovative programs are available over time it must reach its $132.5 million campaign goal.
• The Greater Wabash Foundation is an important, on-going fundraising need. Anyone who has not yet made a gift to the GWF should do so by June 30.
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