Hesston College celebrated the achievement of several financial goals with the close of the fiscal year in June. The college exceeded the $1.24 million Annual Fund goal for student scholarships by $10,000, completed fundraising for the Erb Hall dormitory renovations and ended the year with a positive operating balance.
The 2011-12 year marks the fifth straight year the college has met its Annual Fund goal, and the seventh straight year it’s operations have ended the year in the black. Between the Annual Fund and campaign, the Development staff brought in more than $3.3 million for the year, the greatest amount of funds raised in a single year since 2005.
“We are grateful to our Partners, alumni and friends for this very positive outcome,” said President Howard Keim. “Our Development team, led by Yvonne Sieber, has worked well to share the Hesston College story and develop relationships with people who have contributed financially.”
The Annual Fund’s sole purpose is to provide institutional scholarships and grants as financial aid for students. The average student receives more than $8,000 in institutional aid from the Annual Fund each year, with 80 percent of the total Annual Fund amount coming from Partner gifts.
The Hesston College Partner Program is made up of about 800 individuals from 40 states and three countries who earn their Partner status based on their annual giving commitments to the college.
“Our Partners are the core of our Annual Fund and Erb Hall campaign success,” said Sieber. “They care about our students and the mission of Hesston College. We are grateful for the generous gifts from Partners and other friends and donors, and for their commitment and belief in what we do.”
Fundraising for the Annual Fund presented added challenges during the 2011-12 year as Development staff also worked toward raising money for the completion of the Erb Hall dormitory renovation. The money for the dorm project was successfully raised, and work on the final phase of renovations began this summer with the construction of lounges and an elevator. The lounges will be completed in early August, and the elevator is expected to be ready for use for the spring 2013 semester.
Positive news from the financial end has set a tone of excitement for the new academic year which begins August 20 and kicks off with Opening Weekend August 17 to 19.
“Faculty, student life and all staff work every day to make this a great place for students to start,” said Keim. “Because every person at Hesston College is involved in some way in the lives of the students, we have a great story to tell.”