This has been a record setting year for donations at Grebel. April 30 is our fiscal year-end, and the total number of donations of $2.8m has eclipsed the previous high water mark of $2,288,645 set in 2012-13 during our last capital campaign. This year, donors established three new endowed scholarship awards in addition to adding thousands to existing scholarship award funds. Donors also funded Epp Peace Incubator projects in the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement. These included a grant of $210,000 over three years for The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) and its founder Katie Gingrich (BA 2015), as well as donations to the Peace Incubator Fund that are matched 1:1. A few donors designated gifts to support extra teaching in the area of Anabaptist-Mennonite History as History Professor Troy Osborne took over the role as Dean.
Over $300,000 was received as part of the annual Grebel Fund campaign, which was $45,000 short of the budgeted goal. “Grebel relies on these donations to fund departmental budgets, especially the residence and academic programs so they can provide award funding to students,” noted Director of Finance Sara Cressman.
These gifts provide important resources for our chapel program, leadership development, Noon Hour Concerts, PACS internships, and other program elements that are not funded by tuition or government funds. Each year approximately 10 percent of Grebel’s operating budget is provided by donations and funding from Mennonite Church Eastern Canada.
“During a capital campaign, it is crucial that we do not lose sight of our students and programs,” President Marcus Shantz remarked. “The fiscal environment for education is becoming more challenging, and having annual donations and endowment revenue for scholarships, bursaries, and other core programs is more important than ever.”
A full listing of donors and financial results will be included in the fall issue of Grebel Now.
Legacy Gifts
“We were pleased to receive a special bequest from an estate this past year that was used to set up an endowed scholarship award for Pastoral Training in our Master of Theological Studies program.”
