$156 million raised by a running campaign will be used to establish a computer science program at John Brown University, help needy students and build infrastructure. The school which is the second-largest institution in terms of students enrolled, just behind Harding University, announced this milestone during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the nondenominational Christian university’s founding in Siloam Springs.
Over the past seven years, John Brown University has been running a campaign intending to reach $125 million. Arkansas based private institution was raising these funds to assist needy students, improve the quality of education and add some few programs in their schools such as Computer Science.
$156 million is the amount that they have raised. This donation surpassed their expectations and has become the largest amount raised by a private institution in Arkansas. The school’s previous campaign totaled $118 million according to Jim Krall, vice president for university advancement, who told the Democrat-Gazette.
Projects to start from donation money
The $156 million donations include 9.6 million in pledges and $30 million in estate gifts. Around $42 million will pay for needy students. Computer science programs will be established using money. It estimated that donors contributed $1.8 million for introducing this program into the program. The program is set to begin next with after reviewing applications from prospective students.
A $2 million anonymous donation will establish the Charles Peer Endowed Chair in Visual Arts, a gift supporting faculty and named after a co-founder of the university’s visual arts department.
The rest of the donations will go to either student sponsorships, including most of the $30 million real estate gifts, and non-payroll costs. New buildings and endowments of new programs are an example of the non-payroll costs which the school has indicated it will be used for.
The donations highlight an essential aspect in which businesses and entrepreneurs can play in the advancement of higher education. Amount donated has a net effect of helping the underprivileged to access quality education, gives institutions much-needed infrastructures and can also help in establishing new courses in a school.
