|
The Results Are In!
Campaign Raises $55.8 Million
  Chi-Dooh “Skip” Li ’66
was emcee for The Campaign’s closing gala, attended by nearly 300 people.
During the five-year fund-raising effort, Li chaired the Center for Scholarship
and Faculty Development Initiative. |
|
Can a single fund-raising campaign impact the vision and future of an institution? The results of The Campaign for Seattle Pacific University, which concluded with a celebration gala on March 29, 2005, seem to speak for themselves. Seattle Pacific raised $55.8 million from more than 15,000 donors, exceeding the campaign goal by nearly $3 million and breaking all of the University’s previous fund-raising records. Most significantly, the five-year effort has enabled SPU to accomplish a series of projects and initiatives critical to its long-term vision for engaging the culture and changing the world.
“The successful completion of the largest fund-raising campaign in Seattle Pacific history is a tremendous affirmation of our vision,” said President Philip Eaton as The Campaign ended. “And it is a strong platform from which to envision a bold future for SPU.”
A task force of 32 volunteers, led by Campaign Chair Bruce Walker, joined SPU staff in raising funds for five key initiatives: the Science Initiative, the Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development Initiative, the Endowment Initiative, the University Fund Initiative, and the Restricted Annual Fund Initiative. Many of the campaign volunteers were new to the University but chose to become involved because they were attracted to SPU’s vision. “These dedicated people did more than could be asked or expected,” says Walker. “They were with us through difficult economic times, and I’m confident that they will help us with our advancement efforts going forward.”
Launched in 1999, The Campaign outperformed expectations while weathering storms in the national economy, the post-9/11 down-turn, and a major stock market correction. It was a period of time in which many institutions reported a drop in private donations.
In contrast, what the numbers for Seattle Pacific indicate is a brand new level of broad support, including nearly 4,000 new donors.
The 15,589 donors to The Campaign — who hailed from 50 states and 37 countries — were more than twice the number who gave to the University’s last campaign, with their average gift doubling to $1,116. Sixteen donors gave gifts of $1 million or more, compared to one such donor in the preceding campaign. Faculty and staff giving rose 250 percent, while participation by the Board of Trustees, young alumni, and students also set new records.
Donors supported more than 300 different projects and initiatives, and gifts came in multiple forms, including cash, gifts-in-kind, stock, estate bequests, deferred gift agreements, real estate, matching gifts, and pledge commitments. Individually, these gifts were important to Seattle Pacific; cumulatively, they launched a new chapter in the history of the University. “I’m grateful to all of our donors,” says Eaton. “I think we can regard this campaign as the beginning of a strong partnership with growing numbers of people across the nation and around the world.”
Funds raised during The Campaign, combined with a tax-exempt bond-financing strategy, made possible the construction of the 63,000-square-foot Science Building, the new residence facility Emerson Hall, and the new dining facility Gwinn Commons; renovation of Otto Miller Hall and Marston Hall; creation of the Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development, the Washington School Research Center, and the John Perkins Center for Reconciliation; and establishment of the Ames Scholars Program for ethnically diverse students. The Campaign also provided new scholarships for students and funded visiting scholars.
One of the single biggest success stories within The Campaign was the money raised for endowment. Giving to the Endowment Initiative totaled $29.4 million. “This certainly bodes very well for the future,” says Vice President for University Advancement Bob McIntosh. “Boosting the endowment in such a big way will help the vitality of our mission and support students for years to come.”
Roger Winter, who co-led the Endowment Initiative task force with Kathi Teel ’65, says he was pleased and surprised at the receptiveness of prospective donors without previous ties to the University. “They liked what they saw and heard about SPU’s priorities, and they want to be part of its culture,” he explains. “They get what Seattle Pacific and President Eaton mean to the community. We have a place in their hearts.”
At the closing celebration gala in Upper Gwinn Commons, Eaton announced the final tally to a crowd of volunteers, trustees, faculty and staff members, and major donors. He expressed his gratitude and spoke of the University’s plans for the future detailed in
2014: A Blueprint for Excellence. “In this next phase, we will do nothing less than transform the resource paradigm of the institution, so that we can become the premier, national Christian university we envision,” he says. “The completion of The Campaign allows us to aim high and to move forward with confidence.” — BY CLINT KELLY
— PHOTOS BY MIKE SIEGEL
Back to the top
Back to Home |
