Connected Cause, Goshen College’s five-year comprehensive fundraising campaign, concluded at the end of June 2026. The campaign raised $76.8 million, surpassing its goal of $68 million.

The campaign was part of GC’s “Where Everything Connects” strategic plan from 2021-2027. As a part of this plan, Connected Cause had five major aspirations: integrated academic excellence, thriving students, mission-driven employees, a growing student body and a hallmark learning environment. 

$27.8 million from Connected Cause has gone towards a variety of renovation projects, the most notable being the Westlawn Dining Hall and the Center for Nursing and Public Health. Other projects under the campaign include the Stan King Tennis Complex, the first floor of the Good Library with the Academic Success Center, the Commuter Lounge, and the in-progress Welcome Plaza on GC’s southwest side of campus. 

GC’s endowment grew by $16.3 million throughout the campaign, allowing for the endowment of several pre-existing projects, such as Maple Scholars, GC’s undergraduate research program. $15.1 million of this added endowment has gone towards 38 new scholarships, including specific scholarships for Study-Service Term. 

Trisha Handrich, senior director of development, said, “SST scholarships were actually really compelling because most of our donors had participated in some sort of SST as a student. … Our alumni who did SST know how important that was for them as a student and want all students to have that opportunity.” 

The Goshen College Fund also received $13.2 million from the campaign, growing the annual giving to the fund by 33% from $2.1 million to $2.79 million.

A variety of programs received a combined total of $10.1 million dollars; these include SST, the ASC, summer camps and the Community School of the Arts and research.

The final pool of money , $9.4 million, collected during Connected Cause comes in the form of deferred estate commitments, a set of pledges in charitable giving inscribed into a donor’s will. President Rebecca Stoltzfus said, “That’s for the future students and employees of Goshen College.” 

Connected Cause featured two main phases: the first was a three-year private phase with an initial goal of $55 million. President Stoltzfus said that the private phase was not a secret, but rather focused on discrete, individualized communications with past donors.

This phase, according to President Stoltzfus and Jodi Beyeler, vice president for institutional advancement, relied on the relationship-building between donors and GC. President Stoltzfus said that donors trust many of the GC’s enduring structural elements, such as the mission, vision, core values and strategic plan. 

“But they need to trust the people involved, too. And probably first and foremost, they need to trust the president and the board,” President Stoltzfus said. “A part of this, too, is really making that transparent.” 

Beyeler said that the donors responded positively to the thorough strategic plan GC had outlined. “We [the donors] trust the leadership, the board, the institution and where it’s going, and we want to just support all of that in whatever way it’s most needed.” 

After the ambitious but successful baseline, the campaign moved on to the second phase: three years of publicity with an expanded fundraising goal of $68 million. “We had campaign events around the country, from Sarasota to Denver and other places where we were publicly talking about that campaign,” President Stoltzfus said. “Those are just good stories.” Out of the 4,500 total donor households that gave during Connected Cause, 800 were first-time donors to GC. 

Beyeler attributed the success of the campaign to the hard work of their visionary predecessors, including GC’s early creation of their endowment compared to many peer colleges. 

“It was not that five years ago we told people we have a campaign and suddenly people decided to be generous. We are very fortunate to have this whole base of support that is ready to step up and say, ‘How can we help when we need it?’”

Dan Miller ’61 and his wife, Mary were significant donors to Connected Cause. When asked why they supported the campaign, Dan Miller said, “[Goshen College] was really the influence in the rest of my life as far as theology, business principles — I chose medicine. It’s a wonderful educational experience. It just meant a lot to me and it still does.” 

Beyeler said, “I want students to know how much our alumni and friends truly care about you all and your education and where you’re going in life and how you continue to take the values and mission of GC and have that take on new forms in whatever you do.”

GC will be celebrating Connected Cause during First Fridays and Homecoming this Friday, Oct. 2 at the Goshen Theater. Activities will include trivia with prizes, free popcorn and Lavender Jazz’s 2026-27 debut concert.