Record-Breaking $2.2 Million One Day Giving Challenge Makes History at Houghton University
Over a 24-hour period on April 11, Houghton University received $2,225,920 in gifts and pledges from 2,177 supporters on its annual One Day Giving Challenge. These gifts will support student scholarships, endowment growth, capital projects, and academic and co-curricular student experiences.
“For more than 140 years, Houghton has been steadfast in providing an intentional Christ-centered, academically challenging educational experience for students,” reflected President Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. “Today, we continue the work to equip faithful Christian scholar-servants for leadership and service in diverse fields and contexts. The many alumni, students, employees, family and friends of Houghton who have so generously supported our mission today play an integral role in ensuring Houghton remains grounded in our Christian faith, meets the needs of today's students, and that a Houghton education is available to students for many generations to come. We are thankful for God’s continued provision and for all of those who supported Houghton today and throughout the year.”
2025 marks the eleventh One Day Giving Challenge for Houghton University. The day began with over $1.13 million in challenge gifts, a record breaking total.
The success was substantial thanks to two giving challenges made possible by generous lead donors: a dollar-for-dollar matching challenge gift up to $360,000 for gifts to the Student Scholarship Fund, as well as an additional $775,000 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 came together with the most donors to grow The Class of 1977 Scholarship, an endowed scholarship that will perpetually provide annual student scholarships, and the opportunity for continued growth. The Millennium Challenge allowed The Class of1969 to grow its endowed scholarship fund and created The Class of 2005 Scholarship, each class having the most donors in their respective millennia.
“I am profoundly grateful for the more than 2,000 alumni and friends who stepped forward to generously support the mission and future of Houghton University,” remarked Karl Sisson, Vice President of Advancement and External Engagement. “The 2025 One Day Giving Challenge was an overwhelming success, for the benefit of current and future scholar-servants and for the glory of God.”
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 particular engaged in encouraging support of the University’s many athletic teams.
The Student Scholarship Fund provides tuition support to students on Houghton’s residential campus. Over 40% of Houghton students are considered economically disadvantaged by federal Pell Grant standards, and over 98% of Houghton students receive some form of financial aid. Since its founding in 1883, Houghton has sought to ensure equitable access to higher education regardless of a student’s economic background. The Student Scholarship Fund continues that tradition today, supporting such initiatives as the Founder’s Promise Scholarship.
