Our Campaign: The Eagle's Wings

Soaring as with wings of eagles...

For eight decades Harding University has been a leader in Christian higher education. Harding's emphasis on Christian scholarship, citizenship education and a values centered curriculum has carved out a special niche in the broad spectrum of higher education in the United States. Harding's commitment to core values is the major factor in its record-setting growth.

Just as eagles are not content to fly at the same levels but are constantly reaching new heights, Harding has not been content with the status quo. The institution has indeed soared to ever increasing levels of service to the nation and to the world.

The early years of the 21st century find Harding once again spreading her wings to soar to higher realms. The Eagle's Wings Campaign is the most ambitious fund-raising project ever undertaken by Harding University. The campaign has many components with specific goals to help the institution reach new heights of service. The $135 million goal includes scholarship, capital, restricted and endowment segments. Though the goals and opportunities are new, Harding's commitment to the integration of faith, learning and living remains the focal point of its ascent in the future.

The Eagle's Wings Campaign

Harding continues to attract some of the nation's brightest students. They are deserving students who are endeavoring to make a difference in the world. The Harding experience must continue to be affordable. To achieve that goal Harding must enhance its ability to provide much-needed scholarships for more than 5,300 students. It is an ambitious venture, but one that must be met.

As Harding begins to soar higher, its physical resources also must rise to new levels. New classrooms are needed for growing enrollments in the sciences and education. Renovation and remodeling of existing facilities are a necessary part of making the campus functional in the 21st century.

In every major campaign there is a category that requires gifts to maintain existing projects. Often these are programs that were initiated in previous campaigns, but their importance to the University requires that specific funding be secured annually. Gifts in this category are raised from donors with specific interests in the ongoing projects.

As it was in the previous campaign, securing additional endowment is the largest portion of the campaign. In the 1998-2003 campaign Harding inaugurated a program to significantly increase its endowment. That initiative is not only being carried over into the Wings Campaign, it is being expanded. Endowment gifts create a permanent legacy to Harding and her students. Gifts are placed in the University's endowment fund, and a portion of the income earned from the fund finances many areas of the school's activities, including student scholarships.