Join Us March 6 for the 2025 Converse Fund Challenge
On March 6, 2025, Converse University is kicking off spring with The Converse Fund Challenge, a one-day giving event designed to raise support specifically for The Converse Fund.
The Converse Fund, previously known as the Annual Fund, provides campus-wide resources to help enrich our programs, empower our people to thrive, and enhance the places on our beautiful, historic campus. This fund fuels the future of Converse and advances our mission to empower students to become transformative leaders who see clearly, decide wisely, and act justly.
Regardless of the amount, every gift to The Converse Fund goes to work immediately at Converse, supporting the most urgent needs on campus. These gifts make up the largest source of unrestricted funding the university receives.
Gifts offered during the one-day Converse Fund Challenge will provide scholarships, supply classroom technology and materials, support student success and wellness, help recruit top-notch faculty and staff, and so much more. Donations fund research initiatives, academic programs, and faculty positions at Converse University, keeping us competitive and relevant in today’s rapidly changing world.
Trustee Emerita Dr. Rose Montgomery Johnston will be the lead donor for the challenge.
Trustee Emerita Dr. Rose Montgomery Johnston will be the lead donor for the challenge. Converse is grateful to Dr. Johnston and her family for their enduring commitment to Converse through generosity and annual giving.
Director of Annual Giving, Dr. Ericka Tyner Grodrian ‘02, emphasizes the significance of donor support to ensure a lasting future for Converse. She said, “By contributing to The Converse Fund, you are investing in programs that enrich learning, empower our students, staff, and faculty to succeed, and enhance the places on our beautiful campus to foster a vibrant, innovative community. Your generosity is vital to the Converse legacy, and for advancing our mission to empower students to become transformative leaders who see clearly, decide wisely, and act justly.”
The Converse Fund helps support:
- Creation and support of programming to enhance the student experience
- Ongoing campus recovery from Hurricane Helene
- Repairs and upgrades to residence halls and community spaces
- Free healthcare services to students and employees through the Wellness Center
- Laptops or tablets for students in need
- Assistance for student basic needs in emergencies such as food insecurity, travel home, or housing
- Support for our Valkyrie Supply basic needs hub
- Subscriptions for Mickel Library digital resources
- Academic program support and expansion to meet student interests
- Restoration and maintenance of all areas of our beautiful, historic campus
- Care for the Montgomery Rose Garden
- The Office of Sponsored Research
- And so much more!
Converse University President Boone J. Hopkins says that gifts to The Converse Fund show our donors’ belief in Converse’s mission and vision. “The Converse Fund provides support for all of the things that make Converse truly special,” he said. “Gifts to this fund make a strong statement of your trust in Converse’s leadership and our future – an honor we don’t take lightly. Your steadfast commitment ensures that generations of students experience the power of a Converse education — now and forever.”
A significant portion of donations to the Converse Fund come from alumni, who have particular interest in helping ensure that Converse will thrive. Alumni giving directly reflects the strength of the university’s community and its reputation. When prospective students see that our alumni participate in giving opportunities, from monthly annual fund giving to the Class of 1973, who raised money to revitalize Andrews Lobby, to our Rock the Tower event, it is a powerful testament to the quality of the education they receive and the value of the institution in their lives.
If you are joining us for Reunion, your gift to the Converse Fund during the Converse Fund Challenge on March 6, 2025, will count toward this year’s class fundraising goal and Class Act competition.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and read more about the Converse Fund Challenge.