Campaign Priorites
Ignatian Identity
The Ignatian Identity Initiative will support staffing, training, programming, and scholarships that nurture and grow our Jesuit heritage and identity.
Why is sustaining our Ignatian Identity a campaign priority?
Gonzaga has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Ignatian education for the past 200 years. Through a well-rounded curriculum, robust service opportunities, and annual retreats, our teachers educate the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. However, with fewer Jesuits actively working in the school, it falls on lay faculty and staff to safeguard this critical piece of our identity. The Ignatian Identity Initiative will ensure that the Jesuit principals and ideals that have driven and inspired Gonzaga for the past 200 years continue to be at the heart of an Eye Street education for years to come.
Why a goal of $7.5 million?
Currently, Gonzaga spends more than $500,000 per year to support Campus Ministry programs such as student retreats and local service opportunities and immersion trips. We also invest significantly in the professional and spiritual growth of our faculty and staff ensuring that Ignatian spirituality and educational pedagogy inform all that they do on Eye Street. Endowed funds related to these programs will allow Gonzaga to expand the scope and impact of this critical work.
In addition, the Ignatian Identity Fund will create a dedicated source for the upkeep of St. Aloysius Church as well as Gonzaga's operational support of the Father McKenna Center -- both of which are critical to our students' understanding and experience of faith and justice.
In addition, the Ignatian Identity Fund will create a dedicated source for the upkeep of St. Aloysius Church as well as Gonzaga's operational support of the Father McKenna Center -- both of which are critical to our students' understanding and experience of faith and justice.
What are the benefits of the Ignatian Identity Initiative?
- Creating a new endowed position called the Director of Mission and Identity, a senior role that will oversee Gonzaga’s Ignatian programming and culture;
- Providing more faith formation and training in the spirituality and traditions of the Society of Jesus for faculty and staff, ensuring that they are trained in Ignatian spirituality and educational pedagogy;
- Ensuring that every Gonzaga student is able to take part in retreats that deepen his relationships with God and his classmates;
- Expanding our service programs, providing more opportunities for all Gonzaga students to see beyond themselves and put their talents to use in service of others.
- Supporting the preservation and operations of St. Aloysius Church and the Father McKenna Center, where Gonzaga students encounter Christ both through prayer and service to those less fortunate.
Naming Opportunities
- Adult Faith Formation and Training Program: $2,500,00
- Endowed Fund, Retreat Program: $1,000,000
- Endowed fund, Service Program: $1,000,000
- Religion Department Office: $250,000
- Endowed Fund for Retreats, Service Programs, and The McKenna Center: $100,000 (minimum0
Click here to explore more Forever Gonzaga Bicentennial Campaign naming opportunities.
Celebrating 200 Years of Jesuit Education in the Nation's Capital
