While the academic year may have come to an end, the For the Love of Otterbein fundraising initiative continues to see positive results as donors match their passions with a variety of university needs. 

For the Love of Otterbein was an important call to action for many of our supporters. One alumna knew that she was donating as much as she could each month but wanted to do something to respond to the urgent circumstances. She already had a planned gift to create endowed funds for the Library and Department of Equine Science. After speaking with her financial advisor, she had the idea to contribute money from her retirement savings to establish those funds this year to assist our students. Seeing the impact of her generosity during her lifetime was immensely rewarding. 

Over the past few months, several generous donors have stepped up to help Otterbein in meaningful ways, ranging from student emergency funds, to scholarships, to new equipment. The pandemic highlighted the urgent needs of students both today and for the future. 

One alumni couple from the 1960s saw the opportunity to invest in Otterbein’s commitment to provide extraordinary out-of-classroom learning opportunities for students. This includes internships, research, study abroad, and other professional development experiences. They made a pledge of $15,000 over three years to grow our upcoming Every Student Will program and create a promise for bright futures during a year where students faced incredible challenges. 

“The knowledge and experiences that I have gained at Otterbein are invaluable to me. I think being at this University prepared me well to pursue my doctorate at OSU. I am grateful to have spent my time as an undergrad developing roots in such an involved community.” 

Sydney, Class of 2021 

Sometimes support doesn’t always come in ways you might expect. For the Love of Otterbein brought the community together to care for our students’ health and wellness in totally new ways. In the fall of 2020, the university chose to provide flu shots on campus for all students, regardless of their insurance or ability to pay. One alumnus stepped up and donated $1,250 to cover 50 flu shots, but he didn’t stop there. Once Otterbein began to reach out broadly for the full range of student needs in 2021, he made an additional gift of $10,000 to the Otterbein Fund in support of our greatest needs.  

These are just a few examples of the ways our Otterbein community has come together to focus on our students and their success. We are so grateful to these alumni for their support. As the world begins to emerge from the pandemic, we now look for ways to support emerging needs. To learn more about future needs at Otterbein, please visit the For the Love of Otterbein website at www.otterbein.edu/thetimeisnow.