Giving

Your generosity is inspiring. Over the course of an ambitious seven-year fund-raising effort called Campaign Emory, Emory University has raised more than $1.69 billion to support teaching, research, scholarship, patient care, and social action. It comes as no surprise that—due to the unwavering support of our alumni and friends—Candler School of Theology was a big part of Campaign Emory’s success.

Because of your gifts, Candler surpassed its Campaign Emory goal by 10 percent, raising $65.3 million to provide a new state-of-the-art building; strengthen student financial support; create endowed professorships; enhance programs in denominational studies, religious practices, contextual education, and youth ministry; further develop international initiatives; and renew the Lifelong Learning program.

Gifts from both foundations and individuals contributed to Candler’s campaign success. Especially noteworthy was the remarkable level of commitment evident among faculty, staff, and students. Eighty-seven percent of Candler’s faculty and staff made a gift during the course of the campaign—the highest participation rate of any school at Emory. And as reported in the last Connection, the graduating class of 2012 raised more than $10,000 as part of their Senior Class Gift Campaign, with a record-breaking 73 percent of graduates making a gift.

Theology School Fund for Excellence

Many chose to contribute through the Theology School Fund for Excellence, Candler’s annual fund. In fact, in 2012 we raised more money through the annual fund than in any previous year of Campaign Emory. Candler has made a commitment that every dollar contributed to the Theology School Fund for Excellence goes toward student financial assistance, directly affecting our cultivation of the next generation of ministers and public theologians. Because of this, growing our annual fund remains crucial to Candler’s mission of educating faithful and creative leaders for the church’s ministries in the world.

Even with 2012’s increase in giving to the Theology School Fund for Excellence, there is yet more room for growth. Financial constraints are the number one reason aspiring students abandon or defer their plans for theological education. Removing this obstacle—or lessening its impact—opens more possibilities for faithful people to answer God’s call.

The Wise Heart Society

The wise heart seeks knowledge. This maxim from Proverbs 18:15—the translation of Emory’s motto Cor prudentis possidebit scientiam—informs the university’s core missions of education, discovery, health care, and public service. Acknowledging that our accomplishments would not be possible without the generous support of our donors, Emory has named its new leadership annual giving society the Wise Heart Society.

Leaders take action, create change, and inspire others. Members of the Wise Heart Society take the lead among Emory’s annual supporters with their generous gifts. Your gifts to Candler will now give you access to a new suite of donor benefits and activities, including a wide range of programming, networking, and educational opportunities across the university.

Good neighbors—neighbors who care for each other and the space they share—are like threads of light woven through our neighborhoods. They nurture, support, challenge, and embolden us. Whether you designate your gift to support the financial needs of students, recruit and support our distinguished faculty, enhance programs and curriculum development, strengthen our international initiatives and lifelong learning opportunities, or contribute to our state-of-the-art facilities, your generosity nurtures, supports, challenges, and emboldens the neighborhood that is Candler.

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Mathew Pinson has warm memories of the neighborly visits that took place in the North Georgia UMC parsonages where he spent his childhood.