Wilmington College announces largest fundraising campaign in its history

Wilmington College is enjoying a period of increasing enrollment, record student retention, the implementation of new programs and a renewed spirit of enthusiasm and optimism — proof of its enduring relevance in the landscape of higher education. As such, the College announces its largest fundraising campaign ever, an ambitious endeavor designed to enhance the student experience by bolstering the endowment, empowering people, elevating programs and evolving places.

President Corey Cockerill, along with several other College officials, announced the Purpose Can’t Wait campaign at a kickoff event with donors and other key stakeholders on June 26. 

“At a time when many institutions are struggling to find relevance and connection, Wilmington College is more relevant than ever. Now, it is our responsibility to build on that momentum,” she said. 

“The work cannot wait, and neither can we. This is why we launch the campaign,” Cockerill added. “We invite alumni, friends, foundations, corporations and partners to join us in this work — to invest in students, to invest in opportunity, to invest in purpose.”

Cockerill explained the Purpose Can’t Wait campaign theme. “We don’t just know our students by their names. We know them by their dreams,” she said, noting that, for more than 150 years, Wilmington College has helped students discover who they are, what they value and how they can make a difference in the world. “And if we truly believe in those dreams, then we have a responsibility to invest in them — that is what Purpose Can’t Wait means. It’s not simply the name of a campaign. It's a call to action. It’s a call to respond to what’s happening today at this small but remarkable institution.”

The president cited champions for the College, Jerry Scheve and Patricia Thomas, as having made foundational gifts to the campaign. Thomas, a former campus minister and local Quaker leader, endowed the Campus Ministry program with a $2 million gift, and Scheve, the late legendary coach, gave the College a record $23 million gift for athletic excellence, peace and conflict resolution programming, and international engagement.

Pam McCoy, a member of the Board of Trustees and co-chair of the campaign, shared the role of planned gifts in the campaign by illustrating in a video that she has established an estate gift to give two farms once owned by her parents and grandparents to the College. Her family has been closely associated with the institution since its founding decade in the 1870s. McCoy noted that their belief in the College’s mission of preparing, educating and inspiring students for lives of service and success was something they passed on to her. 

“It seems fitting, kind of full circle, that I commit this planned gift to the College,” she said. “Wilmington College is a really special place because it helps students transform their lives and prepares them to meet the world — that gives me a lot of hope, and that’s why it’s so important to support the College and its mission.”

David Raizk, also a trustee and campaign co-chair, said his association with the College spans nearly half of its 156 years of existence. He alluded to missing days of middle school when traveling with his father’s (Fred Raizk) Quaker basketball teams, and, in 1972, he and several other WC students and recent graduates raised $500 to put on a summer theatre production. Indeed, they initiated the beloved summer program that continues to this day. 

“The College embraced a brash kid who had a better idea for student government, who later became mayor of Wilmington,” he added. “Wilmington College is a special place. It’s special because of our people, our places and our programs — all inspired by Quaker values. Your investment in people, places and programs will ensure it continues.”

The campaign is seeking support for: unrestricted funds for growing the endowment, student scholarships and measures that will attract and retain excellent faculty members, programming and experiences that change lives, and building spaces that inspire. The latter includes reimagining the 70-year-old Pyle Student Center and various residence halls into vibrant and inclusive environments for the mid-21st century. Also, the College last year purchased a former commercial greenhouse with two acres under roof and is working to transform it into its AgriScience Complex with an adjacent livestock arena.

J. Brent Bill, chair of the Board of Trustees, said the campaign is informed by the College’s strategic plan, titled In Common Cause, which is now entering its third and final year. It has been a successful guide in which most of the key performance indicators relating to its nine pillars have already been met or exceeded. 

“Now is the time to invest in the things that will drive our College forward into its next successful strategic plan,” he said. “Our successes reinforce that now is the time to invest in Wilmington College’s people, programs and places. This campaign is an opportunity for us all to strengthen our College for today’s students and those in the future.”

Tammy Shadley, vice president/chief advancement and alumni office, shared a story that reflects the generosity of Wilmington College supporters. She recalled a few years ago finding one of her student workers crying, lamenting that she wouldn’t be returning for her senior year. The student needed to take a summer course and, while her summer job would cover senior year’s tuition, she was unable to secure funds for the summer class. Indeed, she was working both on-campus and off-campus jobs, had taken on the maximum student loan debt and her family’s unexpected medical expenses prohibited their assistance. 

“The cost of the summer class was $2,400, but to her it might as well have been $24,000,” said Shadley, who shared the situation with a longtime faithful donor. Before she could finish, he offered to write a check for $2,400.

“That day, he was able to change the trajectory of her life,” Shadley added. “That money went into our Critical Needs Fund and, because of it, she was able to graduate and is now a teacher.” Epilogue: A member of the advancement team later shared that story with another donor, who was so touched that he not only contributed to the same fund but also endowed it, so the fund is always available.

“Our people, places and programs already make Wilmington College what it is today,” Shadley said. “The sky is the limit for our graduates, and I mean that literally as we have an alum who works at NASA. Truly, from the oceans to outer space and from the classrooms to the cornfields, our alumni are everywhere. So, if we can do all this now, imagine five years or 10 years down the road, what we will be able to do if we invest in our people, places and programs? Every dollar counts, and every gift makes a difference.”