Grace Unveils Public Portion Of ‘Aspire’ Campaign
March 24, 2017 at 8:23 p.m.
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Just how successful the campaign has been became apparent at a gala Thursday night at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center when Grace President Dr. Bill Katip and Aspire Campaign Chairman Greg Dosmann announced that $27.08 million of the goal has already been reached.
The Aspire Campaign is tied to Grace’s new strategic priorities, which were unanimously approved by the Board of Directors Thursday afternoon, Dosmann said in his opening remarks at the gala. It will enable Grace to deliver on four priorities: educational excellence, connected community, culture of innovation and sustainable affordability.
“Our goal, our prayer is to see the mission of Grace College & Seminary move forward. And the purpose of the Aspire Campaign is something we can only achieve together and with the help of our Lord and Savior in order to equip and empower the next generation of world changers that we like to call Grace graduates,” Dosmann said.
With the new strategic plan, he said, “What we believe is that God is calling Grace to be an exemplary, Christ-centered, educational community characterized by innovation, affordability and real world preparation. The Aspire Campaign is about funding that vision.”
Katip said a campaign steering committee was pulled together in the summer 2013. The group conducted a feasibility study, listened to students and decided to move forward with the campaign. The steering committee then became the actual campaign cabinet and began implementing the plan.
One member of the early steering committee has since died and Katip recognized him, Biomet co-founder Dr. Dane Miller, who passed in February 2015, and Dane’s wife, Mary Louise Miller, who agreed to be the honorary chair of the campaign cabinet.
Since Grace’s founding, Katip said it has grown “into a comprehensive Christian liberal arts college. Along with the seminary, our graduates now are marked by character, competence and heart of service. ... The Aspire Campaign is the newest chapter in our story.”
He said the campaign will help Grace deliver on the four priorities, each with an associated project that was highlighted during Thursday’s gala. The attempt to raise $37 million is four times bigger than previous fundraising campaigns, he said.
Between guest speakers, videos highlighting the four priorities were shown, with educational excellence being the first. Former Biomet executive Dan Hann and Grace alumna Kelly Manahan Geisler spoke about it, highlighting the renovation and expansion of the planned Dr. Dane A. Miller Science Complex. At 11:45 a.m. today, a groundbreaking was held for the complex. Of the $8 million cost for the project, $7.1 million has already been raised.
Over 22,500 square feet will be renovated, and an addition of nearly 13,000 square feet will be added. Chemistry and biology labs will be remodeled, and include the latest in science technology. And the new addition will include two new multipurpose labs.
Much-needed space for the Center for Lakes and Streams will highlight the new addition, and a circular tiered 60-seat classroom will be a showstopper for current and prospective students, Geisler said.
Hann said Zimmer Biomet has already contributed a significant gift to the complex, and the K21 Health Foundation has given $1 million specifically for the Center for Lakes and Streams.
Before the connected community video, Bill Burke, Grace College Board of Trustees chairman, said that as part of Grace’s strategic effort to aspire to educational excellence, it is endeavoring to raise $3 million to start new academic programs that “meet the needs of the community and allow our students to serve God in new and unique ways.”
The worship arts program is one of the new degree offerings.
A few weeks ago, Grace announced the start of a new agri-business program. Staring this fall, an associate degree in applied science and agri-business and a bachelor of science degree in agri-business will be offered.
The college is also seeking to start its own mechanical engineering program. “Grace has a joint partnership with Trine University to provide engineering degrees on our campus, and believe now is the right time for us to support and grow our own program. Currently, 60 students are enrolled in engineering at Grace, and we expect that to grow by offering mechanical engineering on our campus in 2018, pending Higher Learning Commission approval,” he said.
As part of the Aspire Campaign, Grace is seeking $1.5 million for accreditation and launching the engineering program. A new engineering lab and other start-up costs will be required.
Grace Board of Trustees member Janine Zeltwanger and Athletic Director Chad Briscoe spoke about updates to the Miller Athletic Complex, the recently renovated and renamed 1st Source Bank Soccer Field and the newly completed Bernard and Linnie Key Track and Field Complex. They also said Grace was seeking $7 million to improve “third spaces” for students. Third spaces are alternative spaces for students to be productive outside their dorm rooms (first space) and classrooms (second spaces).
After the video on the innovation priority, Center for Lakes and Streams Director Dr. Nate Bosch and Kosciusko County Community Foundation Director Suzie Light announced “good news” about the 10-year-old Center for Lakes and Streams at Grace.
“The center has been working on building an endowment, and they have had an overwhelming response. They received gifts and pledges from 78 different individuals, businesses and organizations representing 12 lakes from our county. The current endowment total is over $5 million. And the beauty of the endowment is that those funds are permanently invested to provide ongoing support for forever for the center,” Light announced.
She then said the center is altering its name. “The current $5 million total endowment of funds raised for the center is made up of over $1 million from local businesses, organization and individuals. And also, $1.5 million from the Lilly family through the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation. And $2.5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. So to acknowledge the substantial leadership gifts to the center’s endowment fund from the Lilly Endowment, and the Lilly family, Grace College’s Center for Lakes and Streams is now the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams.”
Board of Trustees member Mike Yoder talked about the Deploy initiative. Deploy is “an innovative Grace Seminary competency-based education model ... that will provide much sought-after leadership training on site at churches,” according to a news release from Grace College.
Drew Flamm, vice president for advancement, talked about Grace seeking to raise $5 million for the Grace Fund to make it easier for students to afford to attend the college.
The evening concluded with Dosmann and Katip announcing that 73 percent of the $37 million campaign – $27.08 million – has been raised to date.
For more information or to give to the Aspire Campaign for Grace College & Seminary, visit grace.edu/aspire or call 866-448-3472.
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Just how successful the campaign has been became apparent at a gala Thursday night at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center when Grace President Dr. Bill Katip and Aspire Campaign Chairman Greg Dosmann announced that $27.08 million of the goal has already been reached.
The Aspire Campaign is tied to Grace’s new strategic priorities, which were unanimously approved by the Board of Directors Thursday afternoon, Dosmann said in his opening remarks at the gala. It will enable Grace to deliver on four priorities: educational excellence, connected community, culture of innovation and sustainable affordability.
“Our goal, our prayer is to see the mission of Grace College & Seminary move forward. And the purpose of the Aspire Campaign is something we can only achieve together and with the help of our Lord and Savior in order to equip and empower the next generation of world changers that we like to call Grace graduates,” Dosmann said.
With the new strategic plan, he said, “What we believe is that God is calling Grace to be an exemplary, Christ-centered, educational community characterized by innovation, affordability and real world preparation. The Aspire Campaign is about funding that vision.”
Katip said a campaign steering committee was pulled together in the summer 2013. The group conducted a feasibility study, listened to students and decided to move forward with the campaign. The steering committee then became the actual campaign cabinet and began implementing the plan.
One member of the early steering committee has since died and Katip recognized him, Biomet co-founder Dr. Dane Miller, who passed in February 2015, and Dane’s wife, Mary Louise Miller, who agreed to be the honorary chair of the campaign cabinet.
Since Grace’s founding, Katip said it has grown “into a comprehensive Christian liberal arts college. Along with the seminary, our graduates now are marked by character, competence and heart of service. ... The Aspire Campaign is the newest chapter in our story.”
He said the campaign will help Grace deliver on the four priorities, each with an associated project that was highlighted during Thursday’s gala. The attempt to raise $37 million is four times bigger than previous fundraising campaigns, he said.
Between guest speakers, videos highlighting the four priorities were shown, with educational excellence being the first. Former Biomet executive Dan Hann and Grace alumna Kelly Manahan Geisler spoke about it, highlighting the renovation and expansion of the planned Dr. Dane A. Miller Science Complex. At 11:45 a.m. today, a groundbreaking was held for the complex. Of the $8 million cost for the project, $7.1 million has already been raised.
Over 22,500 square feet will be renovated, and an addition of nearly 13,000 square feet will be added. Chemistry and biology labs will be remodeled, and include the latest in science technology. And the new addition will include two new multipurpose labs.
Much-needed space for the Center for Lakes and Streams will highlight the new addition, and a circular tiered 60-seat classroom will be a showstopper for current and prospective students, Geisler said.
Hann said Zimmer Biomet has already contributed a significant gift to the complex, and the K21 Health Foundation has given $1 million specifically for the Center for Lakes and Streams.
Before the connected community video, Bill Burke, Grace College Board of Trustees chairman, said that as part of Grace’s strategic effort to aspire to educational excellence, it is endeavoring to raise $3 million to start new academic programs that “meet the needs of the community and allow our students to serve God in new and unique ways.”
The worship arts program is one of the new degree offerings.
A few weeks ago, Grace announced the start of a new agri-business program. Staring this fall, an associate degree in applied science and agri-business and a bachelor of science degree in agri-business will be offered.
The college is also seeking to start its own mechanical engineering program. “Grace has a joint partnership with Trine University to provide engineering degrees on our campus, and believe now is the right time for us to support and grow our own program. Currently, 60 students are enrolled in engineering at Grace, and we expect that to grow by offering mechanical engineering on our campus in 2018, pending Higher Learning Commission approval,” he said.
As part of the Aspire Campaign, Grace is seeking $1.5 million for accreditation and launching the engineering program. A new engineering lab and other start-up costs will be required.
Grace Board of Trustees member Janine Zeltwanger and Athletic Director Chad Briscoe spoke about updates to the Miller Athletic Complex, the recently renovated and renamed 1st Source Bank Soccer Field and the newly completed Bernard and Linnie Key Track and Field Complex. They also said Grace was seeking $7 million to improve “third spaces” for students. Third spaces are alternative spaces for students to be productive outside their dorm rooms (first space) and classrooms (second spaces).
After the video on the innovation priority, Center for Lakes and Streams Director Dr. Nate Bosch and Kosciusko County Community Foundation Director Suzie Light announced “good news” about the 10-year-old Center for Lakes and Streams at Grace.
“The center has been working on building an endowment, and they have had an overwhelming response. They received gifts and pledges from 78 different individuals, businesses and organizations representing 12 lakes from our county. The current endowment total is over $5 million. And the beauty of the endowment is that those funds are permanently invested to provide ongoing support for forever for the center,” Light announced.
She then said the center is altering its name. “The current $5 million total endowment of funds raised for the center is made up of over $1 million from local businesses, organization and individuals. And also, $1.5 million from the Lilly family through the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation. And $2.5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. So to acknowledge the substantial leadership gifts to the center’s endowment fund from the Lilly Endowment, and the Lilly family, Grace College’s Center for Lakes and Streams is now the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams.”
Board of Trustees member Mike Yoder talked about the Deploy initiative. Deploy is “an innovative Grace Seminary competency-based education model ... that will provide much sought-after leadership training on site at churches,” according to a news release from Grace College.
Drew Flamm, vice president for advancement, talked about Grace seeking to raise $5 million for the Grace Fund to make it easier for students to afford to attend the college.
The evening concluded with Dosmann and Katip announcing that 73 percent of the $37 million campaign – $27.08 million – has been raised to date.
For more information or to give to the Aspire Campaign for Grace College & Seminary, visit grace.edu/aspire or call 866-448-3472.
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