The Academic Enrichment Fund Campaign (AEF) is an annual appeal for private charitable support to provide the extra resources necessary for academic scholarships and program enhancements. This campaign, conducted during the month of March, is carried out as a direct mail solicitation of college vendors, previous donors and potential new donors.
The letter sent out in the direct mail campaign is written by the campaign co-chairs. They share their reasons for involvement and the importance of supporting Barton Community College. Each letter also contains a donation form, so donors may designate how they wish their gift to be used (scholarships, a specific department, endowments etc.). If no designation is indicated the funds go into the general fund of the AEF and are used as previously mentioned for scholarship and program enhancements. Many of the donors who support annually funded scholarships use the AEF Campaign as the vehicle for those donations. Although this campaign is the focus of philanthropic giving for the month of March, donations and pledges are received for an entire year, giving the donor flexibility as to when they wish to make their donation. Our campaign committee set the financial goal for this year at $40,000 but more importantly than the goal is to let our friends donate whatever amount they want. It is a proven fact each dollar has an important impact in the results. Many people are under the assumption you have to give a large amount to be an important donor to our Foundation or to leave a legacy, but that is a misconception; dollars and desires add up to make good things happen for other people.
The AEF offers life changing opportunities that will impact the lives of Barton students and therefore impact the communities they will serve in the future. Please consider this opportunity to contribute to a student's success by contacting Coleen Cape at (620) 786-1136 or capec@bartonccc.edu. You may also complete and return our contribution form.
2018 AEF Campaign Co-Chairs - Jim and Kathy Vopat
The Foundation Board of Directors look to an individual or couple from the surrounding communities who have given support to many of the events and financial initiatives of the Foundation and College. Read the letter below from Co-Chairs, Jim and Kathy Vopat.
We are honored to serve as Co-Chairs of the 2018 Academic Enrichment Fund Campaign for the Barton Community College Foundation.
It is the goal of all students to receive a quality education. Unfortunately, the cost of that education is more often than not, a barrier for obtaining this goal. It is the mission of the Academic Enrichment Fund of the Barton Community College Foundation to provide scholarships and program enhancements to assist these students in reaching this milestone in their life.
The Academic Enrichment Fund campaign is unique in that it allows donors to specialize their gift by choosing which department or fund they would like to benefit from their donation. The strength of the AEF campaign is that it reaches all levels of ability to give – from gifts of $10 to those of thousands – each gift is important and makes a difference. It is the power of the sum of those gifts which make an impact on the lives of our students that we cannot begin to fathom.
Our daughters took advantage of the classes offered here at Barton while still living at home. Each and every course they were able to complete before going onto Washburn and Kansas Wesleyan added to their success. College is a very expensive yet necessary investment, and the funds that were saved by utilizing what we have right here in our own community helped tremendously as the girls moved on.
Our business depends on investments and I know first-hand how important return on investment is to the reasoning behind giving – you can’t have a better return than knowing you are responsible for giving our future generation the tools they need to succeed and receive the education they required for their success.
Please join us by donating to the Academic Enrichment Fund. You can help deserving students achieve their goal of an education and allow them to reach their fullest potential.
Sincerely,
Jim and Kathy Vopat