Inspire, Fall/Winter 2011

Amstutz was a consistent donor with a plan to get others involved. He was as passionate about the University as he was well-connected, and he began to personally recruit his friends to make significant annual gifts. He told his friends, Floyd and Annie Rietveld, that if they would give $1,000, he would drive to St. Louis, Missouri, to personally pick up their check. They did, and he did. Some 30 years later, the Rietvelds are still giving to the Cedarville Fund and have funded several scholarships. In 1978, a group of nearly 20 donors (including many of Amstutz’s converts), met with Cedarville’s advancement staff and the newly installed president, Dr. Paul Dixon. They discussed where the University was headed and shared ideas for future academic programs. That gathering, at the Ramada Inn in Springfield, Ohio, was the unofficial first meeting of the President’s Associates, a $1,000-and-up giving club that became known as the Cedarville Society in 2008. They met on campus each year at homecoming and contributed what advancement folks call “time, talent, and treasure.” They not only helped shape a vision for Cedarville, but they urged their friends and professional contacts to partner with the College. Further, they provided material support for the vision to take shape. Amstutz’s wife, Polly, was at that first meeting. Because she was a nurse, she naturally raised the question, “What about a nursing program at Cedarville?” Indeed, 25 years later, Cedarville’s nursing program (the largest on campus) has developed a national reputation for quality and recently enrolled its first class of Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) candidates. The engineering program, too, was born out of this group of donors who were involved, invested, and inquisitive. The Ideas That Keep Us Inspired Cedarville’s stakeholders are still looking to the future and coming alongside the University to turn dreams into reality. It happened when the class of 2007 presented the largest-ever class gift at graduation — $46,000 to endow a scholarship honoring their classmate, Jonathan Taylor. It happened when a 1981 alumnus stepped up in 2009 to provide a $100,000 challenge grant to match all first-time alumni gifts in the Cedarville Fund’s Ux2 campaign. It happened this spring when Cedarville parents Dave and Janet Hawkins began discussing a gift for the nursing department. After the nursing-themed Inspire (spring 2011) arrived in their mailbox, they knew they wanted to be part of this. They established a gift plan that will provide scholarships for M.S.N. students. It’s happening now as Cedarville’s financial partners build the Health Sciences Center gift by gift. Hundreds of alumni signed their names on its foundation at this year’s homecoming celebration. As it turns out, “advancing Cedarville” is more than an Inspire feature. It’s a constant thread in our story. As we look back at our last 125 years and ahead to where we hope to be by 2020, it’s crucial to note that alumni, parents, and friends have fueled Cedarville’s momentum all along. Where will we be in another 10 years? Or 50? Or 125? We all have a stake in shaping the answer. Carol Lee ’96 is the senior communication specialist in marketing and managing editor for Torch and Inspire . She has worked in university advancement for 10 years and has been published in Advancing Philanthropy . You may contact her at carollee@cedarville.edu . * This refers to the General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America. Cedarville College was chartered in 1887 as a Presbyterian School. It merged with the Baptist Bible Institute of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1953. “As we look back at our last 125 years and ahead to where we hope to be by 2020, it’s crucial to note that alumni, parents, and friends have fueled Cedarville’s momentum all along.” Chartered in 1887, Cedarville was a dreamwaiting to become a reality. WhenWilliam Gibson passed away, he left two percent of his estate for the new college. That bequest allowed Cedarville to build Founders Hall and open its doors to students. Now 125 years later, your bequest will provide Christ-centered education for generations to come. Let the gift planning office help you discover how to leave your legacy! Your Bequest Your Legacy 1-800-766-1115 cedarville.edu/giftlegacy