June 29, 2010

Wesleyan Fund record set at DWU

MITCHELL — Fundraising is a necessary means to an end, but while some colleges struggle against the economy to make those ends meet, Dakota Wesleyan University stands apart.

DWU has once again met its Wesleyan Fund goal, this year with a record high of just more than $700,000 in contributions. This past year, DWU had challenged alumni and friends to contribute at least $125 in honor of the anniversary, and many gave much more.

Neil Blair

“We need to give great thanks to Keith Miller, DWU Class of ’47, for his enormous generosity with a gift to the university of $125,000 as a challenge to all of us to reach our record goal in this 125th anniversary year,” said Neil Blair, vice president for institutional advancement.

“It has been a most challenging, yet exciting year in regard to our annual fund,” he added. “Each year we try to keep pace with growth, and in so doing, slightly increase our annual fund goal. We are deeply thankful to the generosity of trustees, alumni, friends, parents, churches, businesses, foundations and others who have made it possible for us to achieve another record in annual giving.”

The Wesleyan Fund is the annual fund that contributes to programs and student scholarships.

“Recent studies have shown that colleges have taken a hit over the last few years, both in overall giving and alumni participation,” Blair said. “This hasn’t been the case here at DWU. Our annual giving fund has increased the last three years.”

The study Blair refers to was by Target Analytics, which is a part of Blackbaud, a software provider for nonprofits. Its results were reported in the education journal The Chronicle for Higher Education, which shows that out of the 61 colleges examined nationally, fewer people donated money to colleges in 2009, and last year was also the first time annual fund revenue decreased, an overall average drop of 13 percent, according to the article.

For several years, DWU was raising about $500,000 annually for the Wesleyan Fund, and in the 2007-08 academic year, the college decided to raise that goal to $650,000, which was a 30 percent increase from the year before. In the 2008-09 school year, the university took into account the hard economic times but still wanted to set a new goal of $660,000, which was also met.

“Our success in the annual fund is directly related to the value of a DWU education. Our students have amazing educational experiences, and our alumni and friends want those experiences to continue,” Blair said.

There were 196 John Wesley Society members in the 2009-10 school year, compared to 190 in 2008-09 and 147 in 2007-08. John Wesley Society members are contributors of $1,000 or more.

Some of the reasons the fund is so important include:

• Approximately 40 percent of DWU students are first-generation college students
• 20 percent have zero family contribution toward college expenses

In 2009-10, 100 percent of DWU full-time undergraduate students received financial aid.

For those interested in contributing to the Wesleyan Fund, information can be found at: www.dwu.edu/giving/fund.htm

In addition, Dakota Wesleyan has also raised several hundred thousand dollars for the new academic initiative, LearnStrong.