Record-Breaking $2.4 Million: One Day Giving Challenge Makes History

Thank You!

Over a 24-hour period on April 17, Houghton University received $2,416,964 in gifts and pledges from 2,229 supporters on its annual One Day Giving Challenge. These gifts will support Houghton’s Scholar-Servant Fund, endowment growth, capital projects, and academic and co-curricular student experiences.

“We are privileged to equip students for the work and the places to which the Lord is calling them,” said President Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. “For some, that calling is to ordained ministry or missions. For many others, it’s carrying out the Great Commission as lay men and women in their workplaces and communities-marketplace multipliers. The students, alumni, employees, family and friends of Houghton who have so generously supported our mission today are our partners in making sure Houghton’s mission of equipping fearless Christian scholar-servants continues for many generations to come. I am thankful for our many friends and supporters and for God’s continued provision for Houghton through them.”

2026 marks the twelfth One Day Giving Challenge for Houghton University. The day began with nearly $1.2 million in challenge gifts.

The success was substantial thanks to two giving challenges made possible by generous lead donors: a dollar-for-dollar matching challenge gift up to $400,000 for gifts to the Scholar-Servant Fund, as well as an additional $725,000 available if Houghton surpassed a threshold of 1883 donors. Additionally, a class challenge encouraged alumni to compete for the most donors, with a prize of a $30,000 endowed scholarship in the winning class’s name. Alumni from the Class of 1977 came together with the most donors to grow the Nick Bohall Scholarship, an endowed scholarship that will perpetually provide annual student scholarships, and the opportunity for continued growth. The Millennium Challenge allowed the Class of 1969 to grow its endowed scholarship fund and created the Class of 2025 Scholarship, each class having the most donors in their respective millennia.

“Once again, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for so many generous alumni and friends who stepped forward to proclaim their firm commitment to and belief in Houghton University,” stated Karl Sisson, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement. “Each gift is truly an investment in aspiring scholar-servants who will continue to live out Houghton’s mission around the world.”

A website and social media takeover highlighted the importance of the One Day Giving Challenge, which reaches the extended Houghton community and demonstrates the value of supporting students today and in the future. Student-athletes were particularly engaged in encouraging support of the University’s many athletic teams.

Gifts to the Scholar-Servant Fund, including the Student Scholarship Fund, meet the varied needs of college students including financial aid, outstanding faculty and staff, challenging curricular and co-curricular programming and the equipment, facilities and resources students need to be equipped to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world.