Otterbein University has launched an eight-year comprehensive campaign with a goal of $50 million. Comprehensive campaigns typically have a silent phase and a public phase and Otterbein just entered into the public phase of the campaign on Sept. 20, 2014.
The campaign will support three funding priorities: campus renewal at $15 million; access and affordability at $17 million; and building a model community at $18 million. Campus renewal supports master planning and facilities updates and additions. Building a model community provides resources for departments, programs, faculty and students with funds for research, internships, travel and more.
The campaign has currently raised $16.7 million. One of the funding priorities for the campaign is tackling access and affordability of a college education. That is why the campaign theme, “Where We Stand Matters,” has the tagline “Investing in Students First.”
“The one fund that probably has had the largest impact on students so far is our ability to raise more money for the Annual Fund,” Heidi Tracy, vice president for institutional advancement, said in an email. “We are raising $250,000 more every year then we were before we started the campaign. This is one of the reasons we were able maintain tuition at its current rate this year.”
Students are seeing some of the benefits of the campaign now. The stadium resurfacing project is an example of the kinds of funds that are being raised to improve campus facilities and environment. One of the most visible projects from the plan is a new campus center that will not only impact students but the entire community of the campus.
According to Tracy, as of Oct. 1, 2014, four donors have made have made commitments of $1 million or greater; five donors have made commitments of $500,000 to $999,999; 14 donors have made commitments of $100,000 to $499,999; and 7,167 donors have made commitments that range from $95,000 to $1.
Michael Hoggarth, professor and the department chair of the Biology and Earth Science Department, has donated $50,000 during the campaign and will establish an endowed travel fund for students within his department.
“If you’re given a lot, you should give back a lot, and I think I’ve been given quite a lot.” Hoggarth said.
The campaign will not use any money from Otterbein’s endowment. One of the goals of the campaign is to grow the endowment to $175 million by 2022, which is Otterbein’s 175th anniversary.
Another reason that the endowment will not be spent is that the investment and spending policies are set by the Board of Trustees and must adhere to the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act.
This is the first comprehensive campaign that the institution has commenced in 20 years
The campaign will conclude on June 30, 2019.
