Faculty Give with Purpose and Passion

As Purpose and Passion: The Campaign for Earlham continues, alumni, parents, students and friends are showing their support for the College like never before, even in these challenging economic times. Every gift has its impact as Earlham reaches for the $60 million goal, and this month the campaign celebrated a large victory through a successful faculty and staff fundraising initiative.

In March, members of the faculty and staff committee sent out an appeal to the campus community asking for their support of the campaign and declaring an ambitious goal of raising $500,000 in gifts and pledges during the full campaign counting period. The committee also challenged the community to increase their participation rate over 60 percent — the percentage who gave in the last campaign — by May 1. The response can be described only as astonishing.

By the May 1, 2009, deadline, the Earlham faculty and staff had contributed $525,368 to the campaign with 72% of the community making gifts or pledges. More than 20 of Earlham's 36 academic departments and offices reached 100 percent participation.

"My jaw hit my desk on numerous occasions during the faculty/staff campaign," wrote Jim McKey, vice president for institutional advancement, in a message to the campus. "It did when I saw gifts from people who had not given before or who had not given for many years. It did when I saw the amounts many committed over several years to one of the priorities of the campaign. It did when I overheard phone calls asking how many more gifts it would take to get to 100% in a particular department."

"This is an amazing validation of the Earlham Community coming together as a witness of support to each other, but also to show the world we can serve AND give," added Dean of Admissions Jeff Rickey. "They gave with purpose and they gave with passion."

Perhaps Bonita Washington Lacey, registrar, best captured the impetus of what led so many members of the campus community to make such thoughtful and generous gifts, when she shared: "I give because I come each day to campus confident and committed to the calling that draws so many of us here. I give because I know the difference Earlham has made and will continue to make.…

"I give to Earlham because Earlham in each of you has given so very much to me."