Alumni Challenged to Raise More With Special Gift

October 11, 2011

MNU is reaching for a new alumni giving record this year. It started with a competition among all Nazarene universities to see which can improve alumni giving the most by 2012. And to kick things off, MNU has already received a generous challenge match gift.

Dr. Otto Theel and his wife Beulah have pledged to match new and increased alumni giving up to $50,000. The Theels have played a pivotal role in the university since its inception. Dr. Theel was the founder of the Honorary Alumni Association, has served on the MNU Board of Trustees and is currently on the MNU Foundation Board of Directors.

“From the beginning, he has stood in the gap for MNU as the university and its alumni established themselves,” says April Hansen, director of development for annual  giving at MNU. “Dr. Theel’s generous challenge match offers more alumni an opportunity to follow in his footsteps.”

The University Fund is the foundation of giving at MNU, providing unrestricted funds for the university’s most pressing needs, including scholarships.

Through the challenge match, all first-time alumni donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of a new donor’s generosity.

The match also applies to increased giving from previous donors. If an alumnus has been giving $100 a year and chooses to give $200 this year, the $100 increase will be matched. The gifts must be received by December 31 of this year.

To learn more about the University Fund at MidAmerica Nazarene University, click here.