by Andie Diemer
Oct. 8, 2008

This Saturday marks the official launch of the Ever Elon Campaign, a comprehensive program that has been almost two years in the making and will focus on the school’s endowment and funding as well as providing funds for the completion of three buildings on campus.

At Tuesday’s College Coffee, a preview of the campaign was revealed to educate the community on how it can become involved and help shape the future of the university.

The program, which has been backed by Elon’s Board of Trustees, will work to continue building and creating new opportunities at Elon. These include getting more students to study abroad, awarding more research grants for student-faculty collaboration and constructing a larger Convocation Center that will be able to house everyone on campus.

Chuck Davis, director of the Ever Elon Campaign, said the campaign’s endowment goal will be released Friday. Elon’s current endowment is about $82 million.

“Our campaign priorities for endowment are very much related to supporting students,” Davis said.

Whether this is through merit- or need-based aid scholarships or study abroad grants, Davis said this campaign will impact everyone, even if the direct funds are not going toward student activities.

“Supporting our faculty has a direct correlation on student experience in the classroom,” Davis said. “We’re trying to endow new professorships to ensure the experience for our students in the classroom is always cutting edge and top notch.”

While growing the endowment is the focus of the campaign, Ever Elon will also work to finish building Lindner Hall as well as create a multi-faith center adjacent to the church and a new athletics facility.

Gifts began being counted on June 1, 2006. From that time on a diverse committee, which encompassed students, faculty, staff and board members, worked to create the nuts and bolts of the campaign. Everything from how to “count” a gift to minimum donation amounts was tackled.

Current results of Elon’s endowment include buildings, such as Moseley, Koury Business Center, the Academic Village and Belk Library, and other amenities like scholarship programs. Donors can opt to specific what they would like their money put towards, such as athletics or abroad experiences.

“Thanks to the generous support of countless others before us, all of this has been a reality and has significantly impacted our Elon experience,” SGA Executive President Chase Rumley said.

Rumley said the visions to improve campus can materialize, but only through donations from the Elon community, including students, their families, faculty, staff and friends.

“This campaign is about every single person,” he said. “It’s about everybody chipping in and making a difference. Every gift from every student, regardless of size or designation, counts for the campaign.”

Click here for more information on Ever Elon.