Five-year campaign for Cottey College surpasses goal by $5 million

Submitted photo Members of the Cottey College Campaign Cabinet are, front row from left, Karen Blair; Carla Farmer, campaign manager; Dr. Judy Rogers, president, Cottey College; Barbara Andes, campaign chairman; Susan Sellers, president, International Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood; Ann Fields, back row, Terri Srch, Kathi Wysong, Miriam Kindred, Joyce Rhodes, Mary Jane Logan Bradley, Lou Ireland, Julie Wilson, and Jan Goodsell. Not pictured is Mary Edelen.

Cottey College has successfully concluded its five-year comprehensive campaign, "A Defining Moment: The Campaign for Cottey College."

College staff, along with thousands of volunteers, raised more than $40.4 million in cash, pledges, and estate gifts, stated a press release from the school.

"It is the largest sum ever collected in Cottey's 130-year history, exceeding the $35 million campaign goal set by campaign leaders."

Submitted Photo Cottey College students celebrate the campaign's success. Pictured are, from left, Connie Chia, former Daily Mail freelancer, Rachel McPherson, Brynne Schaff, and Carly Schooley, current Daily Mail freelancer.

As a result of this success, Cottey will begin construction of a new Fine Arts Instructional building, one of the five Campaign priorities. The public is invited to the groundbreaking for that facility at 4 p.m. Friday, April 18.

Other Campaign priorities advance library endowments and faculty chairs, support additional scholarships, and provide for new academic offerings secured by undesignated funds.

The College transformed the way it raised funds in this campaign. Primary among these changes was the large volunteer network that Cottey initiated in getting the word out about the College and the campaign.

"Sixteen women, nearly all volunteers with little or no fundraising experience, committed to lead the campaign and to raise the largest amount of money in the history of the College," said Barbara Andes, past president of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and campaign chairman.

"They recruited thousands of volunteers in both the United States and Canada; designed electronic communications to 16,000 individuals celebrating significant gifts; created a competition among nearly 6,000 local P.E.O. chapters; organized a network of 5,400 P.E.O.s who kept their chapters informed through monthly messages; and planned 96 awareness events with more than 3,800 guests attending with follow-up calls made by other volunteers after each event."

"The effort of this team across North America brought unprecedented results," added Carla Farmer, campaign manager. "More than 20,000 donors made pledges and gifts and, of these, 9,000 donors made a first-time gift to the College."

P.E.O. chapters contributed $8,488,775. The alumnae gave more than they have ever given in previous campaigns, a record $4,341,844.

"Our donors have shown a level of support that is historic and will have an impact at Cottey College for generations to come," said Dr. Judy Rogers, president of the College.

"This campaign is a bridge to the future as we prepare to receive more students. We will build on the remarkable foundation that's been established by this campaign and become nationally recognized as a model for women's education."

Cottey College is an independent, liberal arts and sciences college for women offering two-year and selected four-year degree programs. Cottey is located in Nevada. Its residential student capacity of 350 typically represents 40 states and 20 countries.

Cottey is owned by the P.E.O. Sisterhood, an international women's organization of over 238,000 members, making Cottey the only nonsectarian college in the United States owned and supported by women for women.