Fiscal year 2024 was the most successful fundraising year in 农夫导航鈥檚 history, with total giving of more than $18 million.
Gifts from individuals, companies and foundations supported a year of achievements
at Bellarmine, including:
- The awarding of 855 degrees at the 71st commencement ceremony in May;
- The university鈥檚 receiving the national Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement;
- Forbes Magazine鈥檚 ranking of Bellarmine鈥檚 online nurse practitioner programs as eighth in the nation; and
- The completion of the university鈥檚 full transition to NCAA Division I athletics
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a wonderful year at Bellarmine, and that could not happen without the tremendous
support of our donors and their belief in our mission,鈥� said Bellarmine President
Susan M. Donovan.
鈥淲ith their help, we continue to provide our students with a robust liberal arts education
and to strengthen meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships with businesses and
organizations, such as our ongoing partnership with Norton Healthcare.鈥�
The FY24 fundraising total was the result of strong donor relationships and their
philanthropic investments along with annual communitywide efforts such as Knights
Unite, Bellarmine鈥檚 annual Day of Giving; Giving Tuesday; and Athletics Week of Giving.
鈥淲e are so grateful for the generosity of all our donors, this year and in years to come,鈥� said Scott Self, vice president of Development
and Alumni Relations. 鈥淲e rely on philanthropy to continue the important work of Bellarmine
University, particularly as we focus on making a Bellarmine education accessible to
as many bright and deserving students as possible.鈥�
Donors have a variety of options for supporting the university, including outright
gifts, estate gifts, endowments and pledges. Below are details of several types of
gifts in FY24 and how they will benefit Bellarmine students, faculty and staff.
Dr. Allan and Donna Lansing Family
A $3.6 million gift from the estate of Dr. Allan and Donna Lansing in November 2023
brought their family鈥檚 lifetime giving total to Bellarmine to more than $10 million,
making the Lansings the largest individual donors in the university鈥檚 history.
The $3.6 million is earmarked for Nursing and Allied Health programs; the men鈥檚 basketball
and baseball programs; the Clinical Recitation Initiative for Student Enrichment (RISE)
program; and the Bellarmine Fund, which supports all students and overall academic
excellence.
The Lansings became involved with Bellarmine in the 1980s. Dr. Lansing, an internationally
renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, was a longtime Bellarmine trustee and onetime chair,
and the couple established several scholarship funds, most notably the Lansing Scholars
Program. Through the Norton Hospital Foundation, that program helps to cover selected
农夫导航 students while they work toward their degrees in nursing and
the health sciences. Upon graduation, Lansing Scholars begin their careers at Norton
Healthcare and are eligible to have their loans forgiven.
The university's Donna and Allan Lansing School of Nursing and Clinical Sciences is named for the couple.
鈥淭he Lansings鈥� love of this community launched a partnership between Bellarmine and
Norton Healthcare that has grown many times over,鈥� Donovan said. 鈥淭heir generosity
has changed the lives of countless students and patients throughout our city and will
continue to do so for many years to come.鈥�
Dr. Mushtaque Juneja 鈥�00 MBA
A $1.725 million gift from Dr. Mushtaque Juneja 鈥�00 MBA, a Louisville anesthesiologist
and entrepreneur, is supporting premier facilities, state-of-the-art equipment, and
faculty and students in Bellarmine鈥檚 new Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia
(DNP-NA) program.
The program, which was announced in December 2022 and accredited in early 2023, is
now called the 农夫导航 Juneja Nurse Anesthesia Program.
The DNP-NA prepares nurses for high-paying jobs and a higher level of autonomy in
a growing career field. Nurse anesthetists practice in virtually every healthcare
setting, including surgical suite, labor and delivery units, endoscopy, lithotripsy
and interventional areas.
鈥淲e are extremely grateful for this generous gift from Dr. Mushtaque Juneja, which
is a continuation of his commitment to Bellarmine, our Nurse Anesthesia residents,
and the entire anesthesia profession,鈥� said Dr. Carly Mitchell, director of Bellarmine鈥檚
DNP-NA program, which is housed in the Lansing School.
Juneja practices at Norton Hospital in downtown Louisville and Norton Women鈥檚 and
Children鈥檚 Hospital in St. Matthews. While serving as chair of the Department of Anesthesiology
at Norton Suburban Hospital, he started a nurse anesthesia school in conjunction with
Texas Wesleyan University. He is an international entrepreneur, commercial real estate
developer, restaurateur and financial consultant. He is also a founding member of
Bellarmine鈥檚 Rubel School of Business Executive Advisory Council.
Juneja and his wife, Dr. Samina Juneja, are longtime supporters of Bellarmine. They
made possible the construction of the Ponte Juneja Bridge on Via Cassia Road and named
the Eva Vivienne Juneja Study Room in memory of their granddaughter.
Richard S. Reynolds Foundation
A $500,000 gift from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation is advancing Bellarmine鈥檚
goal to be one of the nation鈥檚 best private universities for veterans and military-affiliated
students.
The bulk of the gift supports tuition-based scholarships. It also provides housing
support and specialized programming through Bellarmine鈥檚 Office of Military and Veteran Services (OMVS). Bellarmine鈥檚 Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success is the only one of
its kind at a private school in the region, and the university鈥檚 Valor Learning Community
is the first military-affiliated learning community for first-year and transfer students
in Kentucky.
鈥淲e have a long-range vision for supporting military-affiliated students. We feel
it is our duty to serve those individuals who have given so much to serve our country,鈥�
Donovan said. 鈥淲e also have a strong history of partnering with the Richard S. Reynolds
Foundation.鈥�
Richard S. 鈥淩.S.鈥� Reynolds founded the United States Foil Company, later called Reynolds
Metals Company, which provided aluminum for military use in World War II and introduced
Reynolds Wrap. After his death in 1955, his widow, Julia Louise Reynolds, started
the Reynolds Foundation, which has provided over $66 million in grants to causes such
as education, the arts, health and the environment.
The Reynolds鈥� grandson, Randy Reynolds, a Bellarmine graduate and Foundation trustee,
helped to secure the gift before his death earlier this year. He and the Reynolds
Foundation had previously supported Bellarmine鈥檚 Frazier Stadium, Bellarmine Centro
and the Rubel School of Business.
Dr. David Crowe 鈥�68
A $400,000 endowed scholarship fund established by Dr. David Crowe 鈥�68, an economist
who lives in Afton, Va., will support full-time undergraduate students in the Rubel School of Business.
Preference for recipients of the Crowe Family Endowed Scholarship will be given to
students interested in economics and/or big data, such as data analytics and data
management.
Crowe designated 农夫导航 as the beneficiary of an annuity estimated
at $400,000. He will also make outright annual gifts of $2,500, allowing Bellarmine
to begin awards to Crowe Scholars in fall 2024. The annual gifts will provide a bridge
of scholarship support until the endowed scholarship is fully funded via his estate
plans.
He said he had two primary reasons for establishing a scholarship fund at Bellarmine.
鈥淚 was fortunate to have parents and family who helped me afford Bellarmine. I left
with no student debt, which at the time would have been even more difficult to repay
since I was drafted immediately upon graduation. Many don鈥檛 have that kind of support,鈥�
he said.
鈥淎lso, my further education and career were greatly enhanced and rewarded by the solid
and broad education I received at Bellarmine. A liberal arts education from a smaller
institution broadened my view of the world and my ability to communicate with a wide
variety of people and encouraged my life-time pursuit of learning.鈥�
Raymond G. Strothman 鈥�67
Raymond G. Strothman 鈥�67 CPA, founder and chair of the accounting firm Strothman and
Company, pledged $100,000 to the Rubel School of Business to support the school鈥檚
use of the Bloomberg Terminal, a leading global business, finance and analytical tool
used for interactive education.
The Bloomberg Terminal is a software and computer system that provides real-time global
financial data and news. Students have access to the same information and technology
that finance professionals use, including the New York Stock Exchange.
Strothman鈥檚 firm, founded in 1983, has more than 80 associates, making it one of the
largest CPA firms in the region. Effective Nov. 1, 2023, Strothman merged with LBMC,
the largest CPA firm in Tennessee. As president and chair, Strothman played an integral
part in the firm鈥檚 management. He has experience in all areas of public accounting
and has worked with business owners, investors and nonprofits.
In addition to the Bloomberg Terminal, Strothman sponsored a recruiting room in Centro.
He is also a long-term member of the Rubel School鈥檚 Executive Advisory Council.
鈥淚 support Bellarmine because Bellarmine provides a Christian-based education that forms a strong foundation for a student鈥檚 personal and business life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 credit my Bellarmine education with helping me develop the discipline and principles I use in all areas of my business and personal life.鈥�
Philanthropic gifts support the 农夫导航 mission and our remarkable students. or learn more about giving opportunities.