COURAGEOUS: The Campaign to Equip Future Fearless Scholar-Servants

This comprehensive campaign will strengthen student experiences, enhance campus facilities, and grow endowment support to advance Houghton’s Christ-centered mission for generations to come.

Houghton University launched the public phase of COURAGEOUS: The Campaign to Equip Fearless Scholar-Servants during Homecoming and Family Weekend on October 2, 2026. The $83 million comprehensive campaign, which has already secured more than $62 million in gifts and commitments during its silent phase, seeks to strengthen the university’s ability to equip fearless scholar-servants for significant Kingdom impact through strategic investments in student, facility and endowment support.

COURAGEOUS launches at a key moment for Houghton University. In recent years, the university has experienced enrollment growth, significantly increased its endowment (which now exceeds $107 million), and made transformative investments in student residences, academic programs and campus facilities. The campaign seeks to build upon that momentum and position Houghton to serve future generations of students with excellence.

“Investment in Houghton’s mission is investment in Kingdom impact,” said President Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. “Houghton has no purpose other than preparing and equipping followers of Jesus to courageously carry the Gospel to the various places the Lord calls them as competent and compassionate scholar-servants. Investing in Houghton’s mission helps ensure that mission continues here in New York, and that Houghton’s Kingdom impact expands.”

The campaign enters its public phase with significant momentum. During Homecoming, Houghton celebrated $11.6 million in donor-funded renovations to its largest residence hall, East Hall. This included a $10.4 million lead gift from Beverly (Roberts ’56) and Donald Greene to fund the modernization of the 75-year-old building. A $1 million gift from Jonathan and Lois (Morgan) Sastic, Class of 1975, created Sastic Courtyard, the new road-facing front door of East Hall.

Other significant achievements during the campaign’s quiet phase included an anonymous $3 million gift to create the endowed the Ellen F. Donley Dean of Education and Behavioral Science, the creation of 95 new endowed student scholarships, and more than $4.7 million designated for the Scholar-Servant and Student Scholarship funds over the past six annual One Day Giving Challenges.

The COURAGEOUS campaign focuses on three strategic priorities: Pursuing Christ-Centered Excellence, Investing in Places and Spaces, and Solidifying Your Legacy Through Houghton.

Pursuing Christ-Centered Excellence, the campaign’s most significant priority at $36 million, invests in curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities that shape a well-rounded Christ-follower. Through the Scholar-Servant Fund and the Student Scholarship Fund, it provides resources to meet current needs and while helping to make a Houghton education more affordable for students and their families.

Investing in Places and Spaces seeks $24 million in gifts to create the ideal environments for students to grow and flourish together in community, while strategically positioning the campus for

future growth. In addition to East Hall, plans to continue residence renewal efforts focusing next on Shenawana Hall. Additional capital investment opportunities include Houghton’s nationally-recognized Equestrian Center and its NCAA Division III athletics facilities.

Solidifying Your Legacy Through Houghton seeks to raise $23 million for continued growth of endowment; including unrestricted general endowment and chairs, positions, programs, and scholarships. These legacy gifts will provide long-term resources that strengthen Houghton’s mission and impact for generations to come.

Alumni, friends, university leaders, and students gathered during Homecoming to celebrate the public launch of COURAGEOUS. Campaign leaders shared the vision for COURAGEOUS while student stories and video profiles illustrated the impact of scholarships, community, leadership development, and spiritual formation on today’s students.

“I am humbled to help lead Houghton University’s Philanthropy Council as we invite alumni and friends to invest in Houghton’s future,” stated John Schneider, the great-great-great grandson of Houghton’s founder Willard J. Houghton and co-chair of Houghton University’s Philanthropy Council. “It is an honor to help support Houghton University’s mission, in which the vision of Willard J. Houghton continues to live today. I invite others to join me in investing in Houghton’s future.”

More information can be found online at www.houghton.edu/courageous. Questions about COURAGEOUS can be directed to the Houghton University Office of Advancement.