A Successful Campaign for Calvin College

Summary: Calvin College exceeded its $150 million campaign goal, concluding the
second major fundraising campaign in the school's 133-year history.

See full story: http://www.calvin.edu/news/2009-10/campaign/

Calvin College recently concluded the second major fundraising campaign in its
133-year history. The campaign raised $155 million, exceeding the original $150
million goal set by the college in 2007.

The campaign, No Greater Task: Hearts and Minds Renewing God's World, has
raised about $45 million for scholarships and financial aid and faculty
research and development. It has also funded new facilities, including the $50
million Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex and the renovated Fine Arts Center—now
the Covenant Fine Arts Center—set to open fall of 2010.

Calvin vice president for advancement Ken Erffmeyer said the campaign will
support the college for decades to come, particularly the college's students:

"Campaign priorities such as scholarships and financial aid directly benefit
students," he said, "but something like the new Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex
does as well. Even the money raised for faculty research will benefit our
students."

The campaign for Calvin College began and ended during tough economic times.
Feasibility studies for the fundraising effort began in 2001. Then came the
events of 9/11. And the closing of the campaign came during one of the most
uncertain economic times in the last century.

"It was a pair of unsettling bookends to our fundraising effort," said Byker,
"yet, in between these two monumental time periods were many moments for which
Calvin is grateful."

The addition of more than 300 new student scholarships is one of many reasons
why President Byker calls the campaign a success. He also says that it is now
time for Calvin to sustain the momentum gained during the two-plus years of the
public phase of the campaign.

"Financial security at a place like Calvin is not assured," said Byker. "We
need to continue to make people aware of Calvin's impact and how gifts to this
place multiply through our graduates."

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Received on Fri Jul 31 09:31:30 2009