Pillars of Purpose

A $1.18 million, one-year campaign to invest in what matters most to our students and to the future of our university

For 125 years, Bluffton has prepared students of all backgrounds for life as well as vocation, for responsible citizenship, for service to all peoples, and ultimately, for the purposes of God’s universal kingdom. That mission, rooted in our peace church heritage, continues to guide us as we look to the future.

Pillars of Purpose is more than a campaign. It’s a movement of trust, of hope, of compassion—and a commitment to stability for generations of Bluffton students to come. Join us. With your help, we will build a stronger Bluffton, grounded in our values and built for the future.

 

Gifts will support Bluffton in the following specific ways: 

You are invited to give to the areas most needed (unrestricted), or to restrict your gift to one of the following projects:

• $480,000 for classroom technology
  • Updated classroom technology will ensure every student learns in a space that matches their ambition. Centennial Hall, our primary academic building, has classroom technology that is failing. We had 13 classroom technology failures in the 2024-25 academic year. Replacing this technology provides our students with the resources needed to meet learning outcomes. 
• $250,000 to revitalize our health and exercise science program
  
  • Support hands-on learning and careers in wellness and care. By centralizing our exercise science program and bringing our nursing program on our own campus, we can better prepare students for a future in high-demand fields.
• $275,000 for the Carlin and Sharon Carpenter Scoreboard
  
  • The current scoreboard in Salzman Stadium is original to the facility, is not viewable during the daylight and limits what sporting events we can accommodate in the facility. A new scoreboard opens opportunities for new community and campus engagement and showcases the legacy of endurance and commitment to Bluffton's athletic programs.
• $180,000 for Shoker Science Center renovations
  
  • Turning Shoker Science Center into a hub for engineering, physics, mathematics and computational science allows Bluffton to provide the facility our students need to be successful. It will create collaborative spaces for the next generation of engineers, researchers and problem-solvers.