Magazine Fall 2023 Forward in Faithfulness Campaign Smashes Records

The college is just $14.6 million away from an historic $250 million goal.

by Sarah Camp, Assistant Vice President for College Advancement and Parent Relations

CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS

Forward in Faithfulness donors have generously contributed to these exciting developments.

  • Debut of Westmont’s men’s and women’s golf teams
  • Dramatic increase in the number of student scholarships
  • Creation of the women’s swim team, which finished eighth nationally in its fourth year
  • Launch of the engineering major and building and dedication of the Fletcher Jones Foundation Center for Engineering (see page 13)
  • Launch of Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing, achieving full enrollment and accreditation and graduating the first cohort
  • Purchase of 26 and 29 W. Anapamu Street, now known as Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing and the Westmont Downtown | Keith Center, respectively
  • Transition costs to support the move to NCAA DII (see page 32)
  • Creation of the Stan Anderson Golf Complex
  • New baseball seating and the Eldred Family Press Box
  • Names Family Aquatic Center
  • Westmont Tennis Complex
  • Establishing the Incarnational Preaching Project to help pastors develop in vital areas of pastoral leadership
  • Creation of the Certificate in Theological Leadership leading to theological training and seminary education
  • Launch of the Center for Applied Technology and the CATLab
  • Creation of the Center for Technology, Creativity and Moral Imagination
  • More than 200 new members of the Wallace Emerson Society

Ruth Kerr, Westmont’s principal founder, believed each generation must find a way to be salt and light for its time. Through Forward in Faithfulness: The Campaign for Westmont, we invite alums, family and friends to help the college educate thoughtful scholars, develop grateful servants and equip faithful leaders to be the salt and light urgently needed today.

The campaign set ambitious targets for resources to launch new programs and initiatives, purchase, build or renovate facilities and reduce financial barriers for students attending Westmont. After two consecutive, record-breaking fundraising years, the college launched its largest campaign ever. Historic gifts propelled Westmont well toward its goal. In October 2022, the college invited the entire community to help complete the $250 million campaign.

The community responded generously. Gifts from alums, parents, foundations and friends have boosted the total with just $14.6 million remaining to achieve the goal.

One key priority — student scholarships — has resonated with donors. Although Westmont’s tuition has increased less than charges at many other colleges and universities, the cost of a college education remains an obstacle for many students. Gifts from the community help make a Westmont education possible for more students pursuing God’s purpose for their lives.

Campaign success stories include Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing, which offers the region’s only accelerated post-baccalaureate nursing program, helping address the critical shortage of skilled nurses. The first nursing cohort graduated in May 2023 thanks to speedy fundraising for renovating the facility and obtaining equipment.

Engineering also attracted financial support that established an industry advisory board and sponsors for senior capstone projects. The curriculum features design innovation and combines the liberal arts, technical competence and applied learning. Engineering students gain skills for an increasingly complex field in the newly dedicated Fletcher Jones Foundation Center for Engineering on campus. More than 70 students major in engineering.

As Westmont joins the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II (NCAA DII), it realigns with peers and renews traditional rivalries. This move, which will help the college recruit more best-fit student-athletes, requires strategic investments in scholarships, facilities and leadership. Westmont continues to seek funding to ensure a successful transition, focusing on scholarships for top student-athletes who embrace the college’s mission and facilities suitable for a premier NCAA program. Gifts from Warrior fans support improved facilities for baseball, golf, soccer and swimming as well as a new tennis complex.

The community’s generosity reflects God’s faithfulness to Westmont.

Generous donors purchased a second building in downtown Santa Barbara, allowing Westmont to pursue other exciting ventures. The college seeks funds to fully renovate the Westmont Downtown | Keith Center at 29 W. Anapamu Street and begin its new programs, including the post-baccalaureate Certificate in Theological Leadership that will equip Christian leaders to serve more effectively in church and society. The building will also become the permanent home for the Center for Technology, Creativity and Moral Imagination and the powerhouse student technology incubator CATLab, which develops software applications for Westmont. CATLab is creating the next generation of specialists ready to enter the technology sector.

Forward in Faithfulness Goal

Reporting these extraordinary results allows us to honor the many donors who make such key contributions to the college. To bless the community, Westmont has joined with FreeWill to encourage individuals to identify their own mission and values and ensure their financial legacy reflects their deepest commitments. We’re promoting the Year of the Will by providing access to FreeWill online at no cost. People can create a will from the comfort and privacy of their home (see page 48).

The community’s generosity reflects God’s faithfulness to Westmont. We invite all to help us joyfully reach the finish line of Forward in Faithfulness. The college values all participants who believe in its mission and make gifts of any amount. Did you experience growth and transformation at Westmont? Do you appreciate the contributions professors make in their field and the lives of students? Do you see and appreciate the difference Westmont alums make in their communities? We invite you to join us.

Westmont gives thanks for passionate supporters who provide gifts and prayers to uphold an increasingly vital mission. Together, we help the next generation find a way to be salt and light.

For more information and to make a gift of any amount to communicate your support for Westmont’s mission and vision, visit westmont.edu/giving. Learn more about the campaign at westmont.edu/forward-faithfulness or contact Reed Sheard, vice president for college advancement.