The following message is from Lindsay Martin, associate director of development for the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.
Contact Lindsay at lindsay.e.martin@emu.edu to explore creative giving options that meet your interests and needs or visit emu.edu/cjp/donations/ to give.
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Someone told me recently that if you haven’t figured out how to be flexible by now, you haven’t learned the lesson of the past six months. I think another lesson is that we are recognizing what is truly important in our lives and giving more space to those things we treasure.
Over the past six months, I have witnessed an outpouring of support for CJP. I believe that CJP supporters recognize that our mission – to educate, support and empower leaders who can change the world – is at the heart of what they find to be meaningful, transformative and essential during this time of uncertainty and upheaval.
Like many other organizations, we are seeking new and creative ways of fulfilling our mission. Your gifts enable us to be resilient in the face of uncertainty and to strengthen our commitment to ending systems of oppression. We are grateful to the many ways that you contribute meaningfully to the work of CJP.
Three highlights of 2019-20
1. Generous anniversary giving
CJP hit a milestone – 25 years! Even though the pandemic forced us to postpone our celebration weekend until June 2021, CJP supporters showed their love and passion for CJP with generous gifts. You gave $390,000 to the CJP annual fund – which sustains our programs from year to year. Two generous supporters offered a total of $35,000 in matching funds, which inspired over $50,000 in giving from new donors.* Special thanks to our 96 Partners in Peacebuilding and thirty-one 25th Anniversary Partners.
2. New endowment for operational flexibility
In June, CJP received an undesignated bequest from the estate of Emily Grace Shenk. We are grateful to Ms. Shenk and her family for directing this gift to CJP. With it, we have established the Emily Grace Shenk Endowment Fund for the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding, which will provide annual support for CJP operations, giving us more flexibility to respond to the needs of the moment (for example, shifting an entire Summer Peacebuilding Institute online within 8 weeks!). This endowment is a direct illustration of the impact that a planned gift can have in sustaining an organization – and what a wonderful legacy for Ms. Shenk.
3. Scholarships for students of color
Initiated by the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa, under the leadership of a CJP alumna, Sister Jan Cebula GC ‘06, the St. Francis Grant Fund for Transformational Leaders will provide direct financial aid to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students from the United States enrolled in the MA in Transformational Leadership. program. This degree is designed for students who want to continue working while in the program, so that they can directly apply what they are learning. CJP is actively seeking applicants from organizations working to transform chronic violence and systemic oppression who will benefit from this new scholarship fund.
As always, we are grateful to our annual fund supporters and those who make special gifts: to endowment, direct grants, and special projects. We welcome contributions to any of the funds mentioned here, and I am available to discuss your interest in making a gift to CJP that is most meaningful to you.
*includes first-time donors and donors that had not given in the current or prior fiscal year