Manchester meets fundraising goal two years early
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Manchester University is celebrating the achievement of reaching a fundraising campaign two years early.
The northeast Indiana school has raised more than $45 million in its Manchester Bold campaign — a goal university leaders said they had hoped to meet by June 2025.
The campaign began in July 2018, but Manchester officials could tell by fall 2022, as the campaign went public, that fundraising was ahead of schedule, according to a university release.
Manchester Vice President for Advancement Melanie Harmon noted in the release that the campaign came alongside economic uncertainty during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We especially want to thank the caring alumni and friends who saw great need and took action — to those who gave a major gift, then gave again, and those for whom the gift was a stretch,” Harmon said. “We will honor them by serving our students well and being good stewards of each gift dollar.”
Initiatives that are part of the Manchester Bold campaign include:
- 30 new endowed student scholarships
- Nursing programs, including a traditional four-year Bachelor of Science of Nursing, or BSN, track and a 16-month accelerated BSN track
- A new Spartan Pride Marching Band
- A forthcoming two-year, online master’s degree program in nutrition and nutrigenomics
- $11 million for The Manchester Fund, which supports students’ unexpected financial needs so they can focus on learning
- The women’s varsity wresting program
- The naming of the Marvin L. Bittinger Department of Mathematics and Computer Science with support for student learning, research and faculty development
- The naming of the Harry H. Henney ’35 and Jeanette Henney Department of Education with support for education research and off-campus study
- The John L. and Ester L. Rinehart Hamer Professorship in Music
- The new Manchester Chime tower, using funds from both the Manchester Bold and the 2014 Student First! capital campaign.
- 36 planned gifts, created by a donor during their life or a death as a part of their financial or estate planning
- Diversity, equity and inclusion effrots
- Spartan Stadium, also using funds from both the Manchester Bold and the Student First! capital campaign
Following the close of the Manchester Bold! campaign, the university said it will continue work on its Otho Winger Memorial Hall renovation. The 1952 building is home to music and visual arts programs.
The university has raised 60% of its $5 million goal to modernize the hall with new virtual-learning classrooms, flexible studio space, central air, an elevate and other accessibility upgrades.
To learn more about Manchester’s campaigns, see the university’s website by clicking here.