Forever Valpo: The Campaign for Our Future Passes $250 Million Goal and Continues Onward
Forever Valpo: The Campaign for Our Future has surpassed its $250 million goal, one year ahead of schedule. More than 25,000 alumni and friends have contributed more than $277 million to Forever Valpo, making it the most successful fundraising initiative in University history — and through the generosity of Valparaiso University donors, its impact will be transformational.
The Campaign was launched on Sept. 23, 2016, in a stellar kickoff event that featured a concert by the Barenaked Ladies. Throughout the night, alumni and friends enjoyed energizing music and learned about how Forever Valpo would secure the Valpo legacy and provide resources for generations to come. Announced as Valpo’s most ambitious fundraising initiative, the support from Valpo alumni and friends has established endowed funds that will generate permanent resources for scholarships, programs, and faculty development. As these endowed funds are invested they will provide annual support to their designated areas, and the continued growth of the funds will, in turn, help secure Valpo’s future.
Student Scholarships
$79.1 million
MORE THAN $79.1 MILLION DEDICATED TO ENDOWED STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
$15 million
$15 MILLION COMMITMENT, THE LARGEST SCHOLARSHIP GIFT IN UNIVERSITY HISTORY
245
245 NEW OR EXISTING SCHOLARSHIPS SUPPORTED
- Umbach Family Endowed Scholarship Fund has already funded 18 student awards
- Endowed scholarship funds are producing permanent support for students facing emergency situations and veterans (or the family members of vets) who have been wounded on active duty
Faculty
$31.5 million
$31.5 MILLION IN ENDOWED SUPPORT FOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
- Dorothy R. Herscher Endowed Chair in Geography
- Richard C. and Francelia A. Gozon University Chair in Values-Based Leadership
- Donald Fites Faculty Fellowships in Engineering
- Joyce Hagen Faculty Fellowships in Nursing and Health Professions
- Faculty development funds in every College
“Valparaiso University is truly blessed to have such generous and dedicated alumni and friends,” says Robert Hansen Jr. ’82, co-chair of Forever Valpo. “Because of their support, we passed the goal of $250 million one year early and are now approaching $280 million. What a wonderful accomplishment. Thank you to everyone, as your gifts will forever impact the University we all love.”
The importance of Forever Valpo is even more evident today than when the Campaign was launched five years ago. COVID-19 presented us — and the world — with unprecedented challenges. As we overcame these challenges it showcased the importance of a strong endowment, and donor support of Forever Valpo made that a reality.
It also demonstrated the commitment and passion that Valpo alumni and friends have for this University. In spite of the pandemic, you have driven the Campaign past its goal to record levels, buoyed by record setting support of annual giving and more than $19 million in total giving to Valpo for the past fiscal year (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021).
Programs
$46.3 million
MORE THAN $46.3 MILLION HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTED TO CREATE OR SUPPORT EXISTING ENDOWED FUNDS FOR PROGRAMS
Endowed funds are already providing permanent resources for the:
- Beumer Writing Center
- University Counseling Services
- Institute for Leadership and Service
- Student philanthropy program
- Spring service-learning trips
The strategic priorities of Forever Valpo are to raise endowed funds that will provide permanent support for students, faculty and programs. Many of the gifts are already impacting their designated areas. Endowed funds are providing ongoing revenue to support many areas, including Spring Break service trips, University Counseling Services, faculty chairs and fellowships, Study Abroad, and the Institute for Leadership and Service.
More than $79 million of the funds raised to date are dedicated to endowed student scholarships, which will help more students across the socioeconomic spectrum pursue their passions at Valpo. This includes a $15 million commitment, the largest scholarship gift in University history.
Leslie Hull ’77 Svoboda, M.D., established the Elise Sprecher and Suzanne Whitehead Endowed Scholarship to honor two former nursing faculty members who had a profound impact on her life. Donors have supported 245 new or existing scholarship funds that benefit students in each of Valpo’s five Colleges, including the Umbach Family Endowed Scholarship, which has already made the Valpo experience possible for 18 students.
While Forever Valpo is focused on building the endowment, annual giving to the University is of critical importance and counted toward the Campaign goal. More than 25,000 donors have made a gift to the Campaign, with 80% of those being annual gifts. Since it was launched, annual giving has totaled more than $27.8 million of vital operating resources that helps the University address its most urgent needs.
Annual Giving
$27.8 million
ANNUAL GIVING TO FOREVER VALPO HAS TOTALED MORE THAN $27.8 MILLION
80%
EIGHTY PERCENT OF GIFTS TO FOREVER VALPO HAVE BEEN ANNUAL GIFTS TO:
- The Valpo Fund
- Deans’ Funds
- Brauer Museum
- Valpo Athletics
- University Guild
For the most recent fiscal year, ending June 30, 2021, more than 3,300 donors contributed $2.9 million to the Valpo Fund. This was a 10% increase from the previous year and was spearheaded by a record setting Day of Giving 2021 — which, for the first time, passed $1 million. Much of the annual contributions to the Valpo Fund are used in the same year for student scholarships.
Total annual giving to the University exceeded $4 million — up 10% from the previous year — with 5,599 alumni and friends making a gift between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. Valpo Fund gifts comprised 71% of all annual giving. Other funds that received significant support were Valpo Athletics (up 14% to more than $485,000) and the College of Engineering and Christ College (exceeding $339,000 and $128,000, respectively).
More than $46.3 million has been contributed to create or support endowed funds for programs that will prepare all Valpo students for lives of leadership, service, and generosity. Endowed funds are providing permanent resources for the Judith L. Beumer Writing Center, University Counseling Services, the Institute for Leadership and Service, the Mark and Kathleen Helge Program for Students and Philanthropy, the Schloemer Family Spring Service Trip, and several other program areas.
Valpo donors have contributed nearly $32 million in endowed support for faculty development. This includes chairs, professorships, fellowship, and research funds that will allow Valpo to recruit, retain, and reward faculty for their scholarship and accomplishments, while providing them with opportunities for professional development. Two professorships in emerging technology have been awarded to engineering faculty members, along with fellowships in nursing and health professions and University-wide research and faculty development awards.
Donor support has also funded new chairs in geography and in French language and culture as well as a University-wide chair in values based leadership and two chemistry positions.
UNRESTRICTED ENDOWMENT
$17.3 million
$17.3 MILLION IN GIFTS AND COMMITMENTS TO THE UNIVERSITY’S UNRESTRICTED ENDOWMENT
- Unrestricted endowed funds are of critical importance as they allow the University to respond to unforeseen challenges, fund programs and scholarships, or seize an opportunity that requires immediate funding.
Unrestricted endowed funds are so important, particularly during challenging times, as they combine the financial stability of an ongoing income source with the flexibility to meet pressing needs. Support of Forever Valpo has provided $17.3 million in gifts and commitments to the University’s unrestricted endowment.
While Forever Valpo: The Campaign for Our Future will conclude in a few months, on June 30, 2022, the impact from the support of our alumni and friends will last in perpetuity. It will be instrumentational in transforming the University and transforming the people who learn here, and they in turn will transform the world in which they make their way.
This is only possible because the generosity of our alumni and friends. Forever Valpo is building on a legacy, it is embracing possibilities, and with your continued support it will shape the shape future.
MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT VALPO.EDU/FOREVERVALPO