CRETE - A small university in Southeast Nebraska is seeking to raise 100 million dollars over five years in what the school is calling the most ambitious capital campaign in its history. And fundraisers say they're already well on their way toward reaching that goal.


Hundreds of students, employees and donors packed Haddix Hall on Friday afternoon as Doane University publicly unveiled its largest ever capital campaign. Officially launched in 2023, the Our Time to Lead campaign seeks to raise 100 million dollars over the course of five years, and on Friday, the school revealed they've already raised 82 million in less than two - a strong literal investment into a university in an era when many small colleges have struggled.

"When you look at higher ed, we’re all under some financial strain – there's not as many students, people are questioning whether they should go to college, is it worth going to college, college is too expensive. But what we found was, our board, who is a very fiscally conservative board, said it’s time to invest, and we are going to make the commitment by investing that we’re going to build the institution that everyone else wants to be," Doane President Roger Hughes said. "It was great to see our board step up and say, ‘We’re not phased by what’s going on.’ We’ve got some bumps in the road, we’re going to have to figure some things out, but what we do is so important we’re going to make sure we can continue to do it, and make it better than it ever has been."

"What it really means is we have an alumni and friend base that understands the power of this kind of education. Many of them have experienced it themselves, so therefore they want to make sure they pass along that experience," said Marty Fye, Doane's vice president for advancement. "We have the ability because of the size of our institution, our student-to-faculty ratio, to make it personal. We can take a personal interest in what you want to accomplish, we can understand what your goals are, we pay attention to your successes, we help you find your first job, there’s just a lot that goes into that. And what makes a difference under these pressures, is we’re investing when others are not."

For a school that has been in operation since 1872 - 153 years - the leaders of this campaign say this money is critical in ensuring Doane survives for another 150 years.

“This campaign is essential for Doane," said Toni Ganzel, chair of Doane's board of trustees. "It will ensure that we have the resources to continue delivering on our promise of a distinct and distinguished educational experience for our students, and to prepare them to learn and serve with integrity and with purpose.” 

“We look back at our time here with such great joy," said Jack Cahill, who along with his wife Ann make up one of the three Tri-Chairs who are at the head of the campaign. "When we were asked to join this campaign team, we had to think why. But the more we heard, the more absolutely clear the message was: this campaign is pivotal in the way this university will be looked at over its next 150 years, and that is a giant step forward – and we genuinely believe that the success of this campaign is really going to move Doane to the highest level of respect in education."

One of many in his family with a Doane degree, Hughes acknowledged Friday that the $100 million price tag seemed pretty steep at first, especially because the last campaign the university completed from 1995 to 2000 exceeded expectations but still raised only $36 million in total, Now, a quarter century later, they want to triple that total: and once the school received its first few large contributions, the leaders of the campaign learned that total might truly be attainable. 

"When some of those big gifts came in, started to realize the big picture was truly possible," said Hughes. "People are jumping on board because they see the value of a Doane education and they want Doane to continue on. It’s been amazing as we go forward, but it also has taught us don’t put your own limits on yourself, make sure you get the right team together and you can exceed any limit that you have."

"It raises everybody’s eyes – it raises the donors’ eyes, the students’ eyes, it raised our eyes as to what was possible," said Fye. "I have the privilege to work with people who are the most giving folks in the world. This has no value in the sense that they’re not going to get something out of it. What they’re getting is the opportunity to invest in students, the ability to invest in our faculty. And they see that as something far more valuable than a stock."

Many of the people that attended Friday's ceremony - including students, faculty, staff, alumni, other donors, and Nebraska Senator Tom Brandt - won't be able to directly get something out of this campaign either, but Fye said their mere presence at the ceremony is a reflection of the passion the school community has for its future.

Doane says the money raised from this initiative will help create endowed faculty positions, expand scholarships for students, bolster the university's endowment, and create new buildings on the Crete campus, including a residence hall, athletics facilities, the performing arts center which is already being built, and an academic center in the center of campus that will expand the business and engineering schools.

To learn whether they even had a chance of reaching this fundraising goal before beginning the groundwork, some of Doane's brass conducted a feasibility study in late 2022, speaking with 38 families to learn what they felt was the most valuable element to invest in. They showed the prospective donors five cards with different items on them, Hughes said, and asked them where they would put the money if they could choose. 

"The number one thing was, make sure we support the faculty and what they can do because they are so important in the life of a college student," he reflected.

“Roger’s message to those families wasn’t just about fundraising, it was about the possibilities," Fye said in his remarks. "It was about building something together that never has been done before at Doane University. And those conversations sparked something powerful, inspiring our supporters to think bigger. They confirmed what we already knew in our hearts: that the Doane community is ready, willing and able to rise to this moment.” 

So far, with 82 of the desired $100 million already on the books, the Doane community certainly has risen to the moment. Now, the university's leaders will seek to raise the rest of that money - and beyond - by 2028. Members of the public can track the school's fundraising goals and overall project progress through the campaign's website.