The University of Findlay had a big announcement on Wednesday, February 11th around their Together: We Will fundraising campaign. Together: We Will launched in August 2019 with an enormous goal of $75 Million dollars. The fundraiser has been described as a “campaign for the future of the University of Findlay”, and the website outlines three general goals for the funding. Make education more affordable, enhance the learning environment, and enrich the student experience.
The purpose of the event was left unstated to heighten the anticipation, though most understood the implication. After a brief thanks to the board of trustees, distinguished guests, alumni, and students for their attendance, UF President Dr. Katherine Fell revealed that the campaign had not only met its goal, but “crushed” it.
In under 7 years, UF had raised $82,720,880, surpassing the goal by nearly $8 million. Dr. Fell was quick to stress that this was “Not the ultimate total, let me be clear, but the total at this point,” suggesting that additional giving is already in the works.
With a drum roll, party poppers, and a big screen, the announcement met with much applause.
Prior to the announcement Dr. Fell spoke about all the people who had supported the fundraising, commenting, “We're proud to say that since 2019, 11,210 of our alumni and friends have come together to support the university and the next generations of Oilers.” She continued by highlighting the alumni near the stage who had donated, and recognized the students in the room who may one day fill their place. “And on the process goes, to keep this beautiful place, that God has given us, alive and well and serving students for many generations to come.”
With more than 30,000 UF alumni, Dr. Fell’s numbers suggest that nearly 1/3 of UF alumni contributed to the campaign. It’s also a sign that people close to UF are likely to believe in the benefits of the institution enough to support it financially.
Chuck Bills, a local business leader and University of Findlay Trustee said that, “I see the positive impact of University of Findlay every day in the city of Findlay, Hancock [County], and actually Northwest Ohio.”
But the funding isn’t over. Ken McIntyre, Vice President for University Advancement, spoke about the importance of supporting scholarship endowments for UF students. “And as many of you may have witnessed, gifts that provide scholarships play a major role in our student’s lives. Scholarships bridge the gap for students and parents who are striving to have a Findlay education. It helps everything [to] be more affordable. And I thank you for considering gifts that empower our students to achieve their academic goals.”
Since the start of this fundraising campaign, the University of Findlay has weathered major social and economic shifts. Covid, immigration policy which precipitously dropped international student enrollment, and the much analyzed demographic cliff have all challenged universities and colleges during the 2020's. Higher education around the United States has suffered in this climate, with double digit university and college closures every year since 2019.
At time of writing, Lourdes University, a private Franciscan university about an hour North of Findlay, just announced their closure at the end of the year due to funding.
UF, on the other hand, has maintained during this season thanks to good stewardship, responsible decisions, and as highlighted here, faithful support from donors and alumni who believe in the institution.
UF’s motto has been “Meaningful Lives, Productive Careers,” and the order of those pieces is important. It’s the University's job to prepare people for their future careers, but first and foremost, UF sees its role to give its students meaningful lives. One key way UF does this is through its focus on humanities courses, like religious studies and philosophy, which all students are required to take.
UF students also find meaningful lives through their experience with Campus Ministries. Campus Ministries is another place that UF is currently fundraising to support. As part of the Together We Will campaign, a new endowment was set up in 2025, initially seeded by funds from the Allegheny Region of the CGGC, to secure the leadership of Campus Ministry for the long haul, ensuring Christ is represented on campus.
If you’d like to support the Campus Ministries Endowment, you can give online here: UF Campus Ministries Endowment
Or, you can support Campus Ministries generally by supporting our Christian Ministries at the University of Findlay fund below.
CGGC eNews—Vol. 20, No. 7
Login To Leave Comment