By LAUREN FLANDERS ’28
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 25 Sept 2026
Houghton University’s (HU) $83 million COURAGEOUS campaign will move into its public phase during Homecoming & Family Weekend on Oct. 2, marking a visible turn for a fundraising effort that has been quietly underway since 2020.
COURAGEOUS follows Houghton’s previous comprehensive campaign, Impact: The Campaign for Greater Houghton, which ended in May 2020 after surpassing its $70 million goal. The Impact campaign supported the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex (K-PAC), Paine Center for Science renovations and the Equestrian Event Center, along with scholarships and endowment growth.
Since June 1, 2020, the new campaign has operated in what Karl Sisson, Vice President for Advancement and External Engagement, calls a “silent phase.” “It’s more of a term of art because it’s quiet,” he said. “We’re still talking to people about making gifts to Houghton. We’re still talking about the goals, but not in the same way as in a public phase.”
The COURAGEOUS campaign, which runs through May 2029, is built around three strategic priorities. The first, Pursuing Christ-Centered Excellence, carries a $36 million goal and will strengthen the Scholar-Servant Fund and Student Scholarship Fund while expanding curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities for students. The second, Investing in Places and Spaces, carries a $24 million goal and will renew residence life facilities, the Equestrian Center, and athletics. The third, Solidifying Your Legacy Through Houghton, carries a $23 million goal and is dedicated to building the endowment for generations to come. Sisson said COURAGEOUS is intended to strengthen Houghton “academically, experientially, and financially.”
An immediate effect of COURAGEOUS is already visible. East Hall, HU’s largest residence hall, recently received an $11.6 million donor-funded renovation, including improved accessibility and security, larger communal spaces, kitchens and lounges. Sisson said East Hall is the “cornerstone” of Houghton’s broader residence renewal efforts, which the campaign hopes to continue through projects such as Shenawana Hall.
According to Dan Noyes, Regional Director of Development, the work of Advancement is to “invite people into our ministry and our mission of the institution.” Donor support often forms students’ experiences in ways they never see. Noyes pointed to the Shannon Summer Research Institute in Science, an endowed program, as one example. “So there are funds in an account,” Noyes said, “and the interest that those funds produce then funds that program every year.”
The Philanthropy Council is made up of volunteers serving as advisors to the Advancement team. Rather than making institutional decisions, John Schneider, co-chair of the HU Philanthropy Council, explained that members offer perspective and serve as ambassadors for the campaign.
Schneider is a direct descendent of founder Willard J. Houghton whose relationship with the university developed over time, built through visits to campus, conversations with university leaders and a growing, firsthand understanding of HU’s mission and values.
Schneider said HU plays “an important role in the world,” and that his family’s connection gives the campaign a sense of continuity. He and his wife have supported the university for years through annual gifts, visits and regular meetings with people at Houghton.
For Schneider, the campaign is about sustaining HU’s mission. He said its goal is to make the university “better than ever in the future,” while ensuring it stays both academically rigorous and Christ-centered.
Noyes said the benefits extend beyond graduation, just as current students benefit today from projects funded by earlier campaigns. Even students who leave before every project is finished still gain something, he said, the knowledge “that your alma mater is thriving and continuing.”
The public launch will include a formal dinner Friday evening, Oct. 2, for invited guests and prospective supporters. The following morning at 9:30, East Hall will be dedicated. The event, open to everyone, will offer a visible sign of what the campaign can accomplish.
Ultimately, COURAGEOUS is an investment not just in today’s students, but in the generations to come. ★
