Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.
During this Advent season, we ponder the commitment of Mary. Her task must have been laden with anxiety regarding the road before her and Joseph. Yet, in Luke 1:37, the angel provides Mary words of encouragement and hope: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” This simple message reminds us that our faith propels us forward.
It was just over a year ago that Augsburg’s Board of Regents initiated a calibration study to test the feasibility of Augsburg University’s next campaign—Great Returns—a campaign focused on building our endowment. In conversations with generous supporters like you, we heard enthusiastic endorsement of growing Augsburg’s endowment. One benefactor exclaimed, “Augsburg’s endowment is our most vital priority right now and we all need to find our own ways to support it.” Through endowed funds, we can invest in students (e.g., scholarships), faculty and programs in perpetuity and produce Great Returns for generations to come. In October 2017, I shared the results of the calibration study with the Augsburg Board of Regents Advancement Committee. In January 2018, the committee will present its final recommendations moving forward to the full board.
The Christmas story reminds us about how ordinary people can have extraordinary effects. Mary and Joseph were ordinary people. She delivered a baby in a simple place. Of course, that baby, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, changed the world. Likewise, over the years, people working together have had extraordinary effects on Augsburg. As a Great Returns insider, I want you to know that during the past six months, Augsburg has received more than 200 early campaign gift commitments, three of which are at the 7-figure level. That is an amazing response!
Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you as we move into the next phase of Great Returns. As you reflect on this season of joy, please keep Augsburg University and its students, faculty and staff in your thoughts and prayers.
If you would like to have a gift conversation before the end of the year or have any questions about the campaign, please let me (muellerp@augsburg.edu) or Vice President for Advancement Heather Riddle (riddle@augsburg.edu) know.
Warmly,
Paul S. Mueller, M.D. ’84
Chair of Great Returns: Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Campaign