Members of the Pfeiffer University Athletic Advisory Council have ensured their support of student-athletes will continue in perpetuity by creating an athletic program endowment that is nearing the million-dollar mark. As gifts to the fund are invested and grow, the income is used to support the athletic program year after year.

As the value of the athletic endowment, including gifts and pledges, tops $727,000, Rick Knapp ’69 is leading the charge to get to the million-dollar milestone. He has announced a $100,000 challenge and will match, dollar-for-dollar, all gifts and pledges received for the athletic endowment by Pfeiffer Day, the University’s annual day of giving on March 27.

“The Council’s goal has always been to continue elevating what we believe is already a great student-athlete experience at Pfeiffer,’ said Knapp. “We want to build a permanent, self-sustaining source of funding that will help the University provide the things that will make it even better for our student-athletes. I hope that the match opportunity will encourage other alumni to join us in making that happen.”

The Athletic Advisory Council, first conceived by Knapp and David Smith ’70 in late 2019, is now an active group of athletic supporters whose collective goal is to increase alumni and fan engagement, strengthen community connections, and grow financial support for the benefit of Pfeiffer’s student-athletes. The 19 current Council members meet several times throughout the year and, in addition to building an athletic program endowment fund, the group has provided input for the athletic facilities master plan and are active thought-partners for athletic program leadership.

As distributions from the athletic program endowment commence, the Council members will partner with the University to fund priority projects intended to heighten athletic programming and enhance the student-athlete experience.

“This is a huge milestone, and I want us to achieve it for Pfeiffer. So many of our alumni are former student athletes, and that experience deeply impacted us – whether we realized it initially or not. Leadership, teamwork, organization . . . the list of skills we learned and practiced as athletes goes on and on. Building this endowment to support future athletes is a way to thank the University for the valuable lessons I took from my own experience, and to pay it forward to future Falcons who will benefit in the same ways.” Knapp said.

“We hope this is just the beginning,” said Smith, the very first athletic endowment donor. “The larger the endowment, the bigger the impact we can have. We want to make sure that our University is competitive in terms of the student-athlete experience. We want to change the game. It’s important to recruitment, student retention, and campus life in general.”

“We are excited that donors have the chance to double the impact of their gift between now and March 27. What an opportunity!” said Jeff Childress ’89, who serves as the University’s liaison to the Council. “If you are a former athlete at Pfeiffer, we need you to support your program this year and make your gift go even farther by giving in response to the endowment match as well. In doing so, you are providing for both the current and future needs of our programs.”

To make a gift to the athletic program or double your investment with a gift or pledge to the Athletic Program Endowment, visit the Soar as One campaign. If you would like to discuss gifts of stock or other ways of making a gift, contact Jo Ellen Newsome, VP for Institutional Advancement, at 704-463-3222 or joellen.newsome@pfeiffer.edu.

For more information about the Athletic Advisory Council, contact Jeff Childress at 704-463-3206 or jeff.childress@pfeiffer.edu.