By Marith Anderson
It’s that time of year again—Houghton’s Annual One Day Giving Challenge. Today, alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and students will be encouraged to contribute during this fundraising event and help support student scholarships, capital projects, as well as academic and co-curricular student experiences.
Grantwriter and Donor Communications Director Amanda (Shine ‘05) Zambrano acknowledges that the Challenge has been so successful in the past partly due to donation challenges prompted by generous donors. For example, this year, Student Scholarship Fund donations up to a predetermined amount will be matched dollar for dollar. Additionally, in honor of the year in which Houghton was founded, if a threshold of more than 1,833 donors is reached, additional funds will be awarded. Also, for the alumni class with the most donors, $25,000 will be endowed in a scholarship in their class name, helping to benefit students in the future.
“Special just for Houghton’s current students and their families is a challenge made by President Lewis and our First Lady, Mrs. Lewis,” continues Amanda Zambrano. “For every (current) Houghton student, parent, and grandparent who makes a gift, the Lewises will make a matching $19 gift to our Student Scholarship Fund. When three generations of the same family make a gift, the Lewises will give an EXTRA $19. The number 19 draws on scriptural reference to Joshua 1:9, celebrating our Fearless campaign.”
Houghton College’s Vice President for Advancement and External Engagement Karl Sisson reiterates the excitement and importance of the day, “With even more lead matching and challenge gifts this year, I continue to both awed and humbled by the generosity of the Houghton faithful. I am also grateful for the student leaders and ambassadors who are coming alongside us to help make this year’s One Day Giving Challenge even more fun and successful.”
On the day of the challenge, there will be a takeover on Houghton’s website and affiliated social media accounts. Students are also invited to attend and participate in activities being held in the Van Dyk Lounge between lunch and dinner, and there will be friendly competitions being held in the Kerr-Pegula Field House from 8-10pm.
Sisson also revisited today’s chapel announcement from President and Mrs. Lewis regarding the President’s challenge, which includes the aforementioned $19 gift-matching, as well as the naming of 5 things in President Lewis’ office.
Zambrano believes whole-heartedly that this event has great value. She shares, “The One Day Giving Challenge is such an inspiring day for Houghton College. Seeing the thousands of alumni, friends, employees, students and families who come together to support the Student Scholarship Fund is a profound reminder of the importance of the Kingdom work that happens on our campus. The energy and enthusiasm makes for a great day for us to come together as a community to love, support and care for the scholar-servants of today and tomorrow.”★
