A Call To Action

From Brother Rod Kirsch ’78

Dear Brothers:

Your fellow alumni brothers have committed an additional $980,022 to the building campaign since May 12, 2022, increasing total commitments to $5,238,585 as of November 20, 2022.  This resounding response to the call for action set forth in May enabled the Planning Committee to secure a construction loan and a $925,000 mortgage in August.  Brothers, construction has begun!!  Please go to NDDU.org to watch our progress.  Also, please read elsewhere in this edition of the Open Visor about the work of the Building & Architecture Committee as it continues work on refining the design, selecting construction materials, and working with our general contractor.  In particular, our brotherhood is indebted to Brian Poykko ’77, Cary Schilling ’84, and Brad Aafedt ’86 for their leadership on the Building & Architecture Committee.

Included in the new commitments this past summer is a single cash gift of $150,000 given anonymously.  The entire brotherhood is absolutely ecstatic with this generosity and wishes to extend its deepest appreciation to the individual who made this unexpected, incredibly timely, and generous gift.  This selfless act truly defines our brotherhood and this campaign.  No one involved with the campaign knows the identity of this donor, so if you are reading this now, please know how overwhelmed we are with your philanthropy.  As the undergrads would say, AWESOME!!

The necessity to raise an additional $1 million last May before seeking a construction loan, and the successful response to three matching gift campaigns, motivated brothers to do what no other DU chapter in the International Fraternity has done—raise more than $5 million to build a new house.  The Planning Committee wishes to thank the three parties behind the matching gift challenges: Katie and Doug Mark, their second challenge, to the 80’s decade; Dennis Hill who matched gifts from 2000s+ graduates, and Scott and Steve Swenson who offered a match to the 70’s decade.  A substantial portion of the new funds committed since May came from brothers who had already made a pledge and found a way to stretch even further, adding to their original commitment.  THANK YOU!


Our brotherhood has one more fundraising challenge to meet:

To complete our new house as envisioned, we must close a private fundraising gap of $1.8 million before April 15, 2023.  Construction costs continue to rise due to shortages of materials and labor, and we need to shift once again into high gear to build our 100 year home.  We liken our fundraising effort to climbing Mt. Everest.   After tremendous effort and teamwork, we have reached Base Camp Four.  The ascent to the summit begins now!   

How you can help:  Reaching our ultimate goal will require every bit as much energy, generosity, and communication as it has taken to raise $5.2 million to date.  Pledges can be made over five years.   Commitments of $25,000 or more are eligible for a partial charitable tax deduction.  Brothers pledging $5,000 or more will have their names on a permanent honor plaque in the new chapter house.  Donors of $2,500 or more will appear in print and electronic publications.  That said, EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS at this point!  If you have been waiting to see if this project would actually happen or believe your gift isn’t as large as you’d like it to be, NOW is the time to step up and join the Campaign.  

Who to contact:  If you wish to discuss a gift, please reach out to one of the Campaign co-chairs:  Lynn Luckow ’71 at (415) 828-1446 or lynnluckow@gmail.com; Rod Kirsch ’78 at (814) 777-48426 or rodkirsch99@gmail.com; or Jim Sweeney ’86 at (701) 371-4061 or jim@fargojet.com. Thank you for being a DU and for considering what you can do to continue the unparalleled heritage of Delta Upsilon at UND.  It’s time to Honor Our Legacy and Build Our Future!

Rod Kirsch ’78