September 2006 Development Newsletter

Article Body: The schizophrenic temperatures of late fall are upon us and yet it will take a lot to dampen the warm glow of the past few weeks here at Graceland University.

These certainly are the best of times to be sure. The worldwide reputation of this Community of Christ sponsored institution will forever remain changed thanks to the vision and dedicated work of a long list of folks committed to a cause known as SIFE. For those of you just tuning in, that's Students in Free Enterprise, and Graceland's team just happens to be the 2nd best on planet Earth. Our kids actually came within a whisker of winning it all in Paris a handful of weeks ago. That's just fine with us because now the team ... the program ... still has something to shoot for next spring. Many of you have shown great interest in this big deal of ours. Not only do we want to thank you for the last-minute donations to make the trip abroad possible, I also want to provide gobs of information about the dream run to the World Cup on the Graceland University web page. To make things a bit simpler, click right here on SIFE Heroics, and read until your heart's content. You can also see photos of the triumphant return to campus by mousing on Hero's welcome. Stop pinching yourselves ... this is not a dream!

Here's a shocker ... the joy and jubilation of the SIFE effort spilled over into Homecoming ... as if this annual reunion of friends, comrades and former roommates needed any more momentum. The strong spirit of community on campus was enhanced by picture-perfect weather. The football team may have lost the annual gridiron gala, but the Alumni College presenters were well received, the Air Band battle between the houses was amazingly entertaining, (a Pirates of the Caribbean theme took 1st place honors), Distinguished Service Award and Honorary Alumni winners gave us goose bumps, and the Sunday Heritage Club brunch capped off a simply marvelous weekend. You don't have to miss out on all of the fun because we've got pictures for your viewing pleasure. Just click on Homecoming Photos to see what you missed. Ok ... sorry for rubbing it in.

Jazz on the Bricks was a smashing success earlier in September with the best crowd we've ever had for the Independence Campus Homecoming. Faculty and staff mustered up some new ideas for the event including a mini Frisbee golf layout for the kids and a dinosaur-themed inflatable that almost gobbled up a member of the Development Office support staff. If you'd like, click on Jazzy Night to see what all the excitement was about.

The Lamoni landscape looked a tad different for Homecoming. More than one visitor had to be wondering "where in the world is Herald Hall ... I thought it used to be on this street?" The corner of North Walnut and 8th Streets was indeed the location for one of the early campus dormitories for some 53 years, but time and progress wait for no one. It was a melancholy three days in September when heavy machinery razed the quaint little brick building first erected in 1907 as Herald Publishing House. It had to go to make way for a brand new Lamoni High School. Get out the Kleenex and click on Herald Hall falls to see the demise of a large slice of Graceland-Lamoni history.

If you're 70 or older, our Estate Planning Tip of the Month is for you. In the words of the network announcers ... some late-breaking news. An historic IRS rule change could have profound impact on Graceland and most of your other favorite charities. The newly enacted legislation allows folks 70-1/2 and older to make distributions directly from an IRA without income and withholding tax headaches. "This is huge news" to quote Graceland alumnus Dean Cox of Bella Vista, Arkansas, who has been crossing his fingers for a change like this for years. This presents a perfect opportunity for you to make a significant gift to the Graceland Forever Capital Campaign. Please contact Todd Sturgis at tsturgis@graceland.edu for more music to your financial-and philanthropy-minded ears. For now, this window of opportunity will only be open in 2006 and 2007.

Speaking of the ongoing GF Campaign, it is important for you to know a way that you might consider jumping on board is by either joining the Heritage Club and/or clarifying your hopes and dreams for an end-of-life bequest to this life-transforming place. Heritage Club membership is as easy as letting GU know that you made a provision for a gift in your will and or Living Trust. And folks who have already done that in years gone by can give the campaign a financial shot in the arm by telling us what your gift in all likelihood will be. All you have to do is send your Development officer an e-mail and the paperwork is done. Locate your contact by clicking on Development Officer Map. This is a revocable pledge to be sure. In our Investor Spotlight we salute 95-year-old Glenna Chapin of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who recently told Graceland that she expects her Heritage Club gift to be $10,000. We love and appreciate you, Glenna!

Graceland folks north of the border get ready. The Graceland Canadian Foundation is staging Campaign Canada dinners at four different Community of Christ locations in Ontario the last full week of this month. We plan catered outings in Mississauga, Wabash, Windsor and London, October 23-28. Please e-mail Paul Davis at pjdavis@graceland.eduto help GU with an accurate head count. VP for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions Brian Shantz is the featured speaker and the brand new Campaign Canada DVD will be unveiled.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... well not really ... but it is the perfect time to start lining up your holiday greeting card plans. For a limited time only the GU Fine Arts Alumni Association will have a few packages for sale. This year's card features collaboration by some young friends of the university. The team effort captures the joy of catching snowflakes in a bright delightful collage. The package also features a children's book called The Colorful Quilt. Please email development@graceland.edu to place an order. Proceeds will go to the Fine Arts Scholarship Program and Summer Art Camp.

Do you know a student who should consider GU? Encourage them to visit campus during Graceland for a Day, coming up Saturday, October 21 and Graceland Fine Arts Day, Friday, November 10. This is an up-close and personal opportunity for high school students and their parents to meet GU students, faculty and staff. They will also be able to sample the tasty food at Floyd's Commons. Lock up a spot by calling admissions at 866-GRACELAND or click on Graceland for a Day.

And you can once again know the joy of opening up a weekly edition of the Graceland student-run Tower newspaper by contacting the staff at tower@graceland.edu. This year's cartoons have been great. Get your subscription up and running today.
Event Date: 9/30/2006 11:00 AM