Plant an Evergreen “Tree”

January 4, 2010

Endowments are like the evergreen tree - they produce colorful results all year long. They are like the redwood trees - long-lasting. They are like the fruit tree - producing fruit in season.

Endowments allow you to create a legacy for generations to come, perhaps until Jesus comes again.

Endowments can provide a scholarship for a hopeful student; encourage a professor to strive for even better results in his students; or produce a special lecture series which brings the best in the nation to challenge the students at OBU. Each of these can happen every year because they are evergreen.

There are only two requirements to establish an endowment: your purpose for the endowment must be consistent with the OBU mission and the fund must have a minimum amount of $10,000. The endowment purpose should be as God leads you, so our only restraint on your intentions will be to guarantee to all of our other donors - past, present and future - that they will continue to be proud of our tradition of excellence in Christian higher education. The base amount of $10,000 is the smallest total which we believe we can administer and still be sure that the significant portion of the income will go to your intended purpose each year.

Seeing a mission or educational goal is easy for many of our friends. Each of us has dreamed, "What if OBU could do ..." and we have filled in the dots with wonderful goals. For most of us, understanding how we might give enough to fund these worthy goals is more difficult.

Many might do this through their wills. Others may have property which they believe to be of little use, but which may be very useful at the campus. Some may think a gift like an endowed fund is given only by people with large resources - but that is incorrect. Most of the endowments at OBU were not established by the wealthy. Most were established by people who saw that what happens at OBU helps shape the moral and intellectual "climate" of our world and they wanted to be a part of improving that "climate."

You could plant your own fruit tree giving fruit to encourage Christian travelers in season. You could plant a long-lasting redwood tree to continue your ministry for generations to come. You could plant your own evergreen endowment at OBU, providing a colorful legacy to speak about your love of our Lord and your faith in His ability to transform lives.

To learn more about endowments and how you can "plant" your own "evergreen tree" contact John Little. He may be reached by telephone at (405) 878-2718; by cell phone at (405) 760-8455; or by "snail-mail" at Oklahoma Baptist University, Attn.: John Little, 500 West University, Shawnee, OK 74804.