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The Eli Lilly Corporation approved Milligan for a $1.9 million endowment this year. Part of these funds will have an impact on scholarship funds. |
Milligan College will begin the implementation of the Lilly Endowment in January 2003. The endowment is for $1, 956, 907 over five years, the amount asked for in the college’s proposal.
The grant was given to Milligan under the Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation 2002 division. This Lilly program is designed to aid schools in finding and educating talented leaders dedicated to high religious standards.
Milligan, along with 39 other schools, received funding under this program of the Lilly Endowment.
Don Jeanes, Milligan president, believes that the grant will have “a tremendous impact on Milligan and our emphasis on servant-leadership.”
The grant is used for programs at Milligan such as the Partnership in Youth in Ministry program as well as other programs the school uses to promote servant-leadership in the community and the college.
“Our goal is to provide a cohesive way for students to consider their vocational choices in light of their faith as they grow intellectually and spiritually,” said Jeanes. “We want students to explore their vocational choices from the perspective of a calling to ministry - regardless of the specific field they will ultimately enter.”
Milligan received a $50,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment March 4, 2002 to form a proposal group. There were 35 people involved in the Milligan Planning Group, which consisted of faculty, staff, trustees and students. The planning group began the process of drawing a proposal for up to $2 million in March. Todd Norris, vice president for institutional advancement and Theresa Garbe, director of alumni and foundations relations, led the group.
“We plan to explore even deeper levels of involvement with existing church and para-church partners, as well as alumni and friends,” Norris said. “They can provide essential resources for our mentor programs and internships. And they effectively and vividly model Christian leadership in a variety of vocations.”
Norris also said the new program will integrate well with the college’s Institute for Christian Leadership.
“The goals are the same - to advance the premise that leadership through service and Christian witness is a call for all Christians, regardless of their sphere of influence or profession.”
Garbe said the grant “will help Milligan do what it does already a whole lot better.”
The grant will significantly impact students by providing scholarship money, widening the Career Development Program and improving the residence halls, she said.
Decisions concerning the distribution of the grant money will be made by a new director that will be hired as soon as possible next semester.
Garbe said that receiving this grant puts Milligan along side other “prestigious” schools that received the grant, such as Duke University, Boston College, Azusa Pacific University, Messiah College, Georgetown College and others.