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McPherson College Campaign Surpasses Goal

McPherson College’s most recent comprehensive campaign, Power the Future, surpassed its $14 million goal with a total of more than $14,100,000 as of June 30 – making it the third comprehensive campaign completed since 2004 for a total of $36 million.

“Thanks to the support of McPherson College alumni and friends this most recent campaign is another in a long line of successful campaigns that have supported our students over the past thirteen years,” McPherson College President Michael Schneider said. “It’s significant that the campaign was completed on time and exceeded its goal, however more important is the benefit our students have received because of our donors’ generosity.”

Each of the last three campaigns have in some way made an important impact on academic programs and student experience. For example, a $1 million Power the Future gift to support a performing arts series is generating attention for the college’s music department, which has grown its concert band from eight to 50 members over the past five years. And, a recent $250,000 gift is supporting program enhancements in the visual arts department. Campaign support over the past 13 years has aided in boosting overall enrollment by more than 200 students.

Other areas have also benefited from donor support through campaigns. The entrepreneurship program was established through a $1.2 million gift in 2011, during the MC Forward campaign. The gift enabled McPherson College to embrace entrepreneurship across its curriculum by supporting a program director, faculty training, and curriculum development. In 2007, during the MyMC campaign, over $750,000 supported the college’s focus on career-oriented liberal arts resulting in a 98 percent job placement rate for student in 2015. The campus entry project was generously funded during the MC Forward campaign with a gift of $500,000. Additionally, hundreds of athletic gifts for capital projects, scholarships, and the student experience as well as endowment growth of $10 million have all been supported through the past three successful campaigns.

Power the Future also served as a transition for the college’s work this past year on its strategic plan. The strategic plan called Community by Design, is a new approach to planning that puts the entire campus community at the heart of the process taking aim at some of higher education’s largest challenges. Over the next five years the plan will focus on developing academic programs, designing the McPherson College community, planning and building facilities to support growth, and creating a plan to build a $1 billion endowment.

“The community-based approach to creating this plan has generated a great deal of momentum across campus,” President Schneider said. “I think we are inspired in all areas of campus to implement the plan and to explore ways that McPherson College can become one of America’s great small colleges.”