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Cedarville Magazine
Bill Bigham
Vice President for Advancement
At Cedarville since 2008
I met a donor for lunch at a Pizza
Hut. It was located across the street from
his workplace, and we blended into the
“working lunch” crowd that was served in
“15 minutes or less.” He was a regular there.
They knew his order.
The purpose of my visit was to learn
about his interests in giving and thank
him for what he’d already done for
Cedarville. Over personal pan pizzas, we
talked about Cedarville’s role in Christian
higher education and really anything else
he wanted to talk about. He invited me to
come see his factory, and I learned more
about his business.
Not long after that visit, he and his wife
gave one of the largest endowed gifts in
Cedarville’s history. Their gift will provide
four-year scholarships for Christian school
students in their area.
Moral to the story: Never underestimate
the potential of a $5 lunch.
Contact me about
gifts
of all sizes and types.
I enjoy helping people
view their resources as a
blessing to accomplish the
Lord’s purposes. Also, I like
pepperoni, sausage, and
banana peppers.
937-766-7810
Matt Pogirski
Associate Director of Gift Planning
and Endowment
At Cedarville since 2000
In May 2012, I had lunch with a 1996
grad at Dinosaur Bar–B–Que in Syracuse,
New York. The restaurant has other
locations in New York, but this was “the
original,” and it was hoppin’. The wait was
30 minutes for lunch on a weekday, but the
pulled pork and brisket was worth it.
The weather was perfect, so we got
an outdoor table. We talked about the
scholarship he wanted to create and fund
through an insurance policy. He has been
giving to the Cedarville Fund since he
graduated, and he wanted this scholarship
to help students who transfer to Cedarville
from Word of Life, like he did.
I enjoy helping donors direct their
philanthropic interests at Cedarville in ways
that reduce tax penalties and allow them to
use their money to do private good.
Contact me about
estate giving, annuities
or trusts, or named
endowments. If you’re
creating a scholarship,
I’ll meet you for lunch
anywhere.
937-766-8600
There’s something friendly about sitting
together around a table and sharing a
meal. It slows the pace of conversation
and eases the formality, especially when
you’re meeting someone for the first time.
Cedarville’s Advancement staff includes
six gift officers who spend considerable
time on the road, meeting people and
building relationships that literally
advance the University. It’s hard not to
love a job with priorities that include
“meet, greet, and eat!”
Here, Cedarville’s gift officers share some
of their favorite mealtime memories.
Wade Harris ’99
Director of the Cedarville Fund
At Cedarville since 2011
This spring, I met a group of recent
engineering graduates for dinner at
Chaplin’s, a tiny local seafood restaurant
in New London, Connecticut. The chef
cooks everything on a six-burner stove. I
had their daily special, which was salmon
and shrimp, and I tried scallops for the first
time. I don’t even like seafood, but I thought
the food was phenomenal.
Even though I’d never met these alumni,
we shared a common bond in Christ and
in Cedarville. It was easy to enjoy a good
meal and good conversation, and I enjoyed
getting a glimpse into their engineering
world. We talked about the importance
of giving and how they could possibly
work together on something to benefit the
engineering program.
Experiences like these encourage and
shape me. I walk away feeling blessed to
know how God is working in people’s lives.
Contact me about
being
involved in students’ lives
through giving. If you’re ever
at Chaplin’s, try the daily
special, no matter what it is.
937-766-7802
