On March 14, Illiana will be holding a Day of Giving. We will be raising money for an outdoor community gathering and worship space. Before explaining the Day of Giving, a little background information is needed first.
First, last November, we hosted a number of online challenges for Giving Tuesday. Unfortunately, our software company that processes our online donations had some significant technical issues, preventing our community from making online gifts that day. We apologize if you were one of the people affected by this. (Thankfully, we were still able to meet our financial goals for the day, thanks to a few amazing donors.) Due to the problems with our software company, they are giving us a “free” giving day on March 14. On this day, they will absorb all fees, so 100% of your online donation will go directly to Illiana.
Next, let’s talk about the space. The outdoor community space will be located in the horseshoe-shaped area between the outdoor bathrooms and the tennis courts, where a pile of dirt has been kept. Currently it is a mud pit, but our plan is to seed it after the ground thaws. We would like this space to be a place where our students, faculty and staff can gather together in God’s creation. We hope to roll this space out in two phases; focusing on funding Phase 1 now.
Phase 1 – Final grading, irrigation, seed/sod, and trees: $30,000
This phase would beautify the central area, by installing irrigation, laying sod and planting trees, to make it a nice green space for people to gather, find some shade, and hang out.
Phase 2 – Concrete amphitheater: $30,000-$50,000
In the future, we would like to build a concrete amphitheater on the west side of this space. It would be virtually maintenance free and feature a few rows of seating. This would provide seating for outdoor gatherings, concerts, and worship services. We should be able to proceed from Phase 1 to Phase 2 as soon as funds are available.
Finally, let’s talk the about the Day of Giving. On March 14, we will host the “$20 Challenge.” We are challenging donors to give $20 each. Our goal is to have 500 people donate $20, to meet our goal of $10,000. If we reach that goal, some individual donors have agreed match it, allowing us to fund all of Phase 1. Additionally, if we reach the goal of 500 donors, our students will get the opportunity to PIE Principal Peter Boonstra in honor of “Pi Day”.
FAQs:
Do I have to give online? No, you can send a check, drop off cash, or whatever is most convenient for you.
Can I give more than $20? Can I give less? Of course! We appreciate any gift you are able to give.
Do I have to give just on March 14? No, you can give any time before March 31. Online donations will only be “fee-free” on Thursday, March 14.
Why this space? This is really the only space on the campus we haven’t addressed yet. From day one, we have been purposeful in creating community spaces to encourage our students to build stronger relationships with each other and with God. In our current building and space, this is happening all around us. I stand in awe of the way these spaces are being used by the students and the programs here. It really has made an impact on the lives of our students and we want to create those same opportunities in a space outside.
Thank you so much for your continued generosity and support of Illiana Christian High School!
