The Capitol Campaign – Continuing the Tradition of Excellence

By Rev. Ken Gibson #231

The Beta Gamma Alumni board of directors has established the need for a capital campaign to maintain Beta Gamma AGR as the premier fraternity on the Platteville campus. As such, a fundraising committee has been established and they have been hard at work developing the logistics for this effort. The committee has been meeting every month since March 2025 and will continue to meet to see this effort to its completion. The campaign will begin on February 1, 2026. The board of directors and the committee have identified a three-tiered approach for the campaign. The three areas of emphasis are:

• House Improvements $200 K
• Scholarship $200 K
• Mortgage/Debt Reduction $100 K

This approach creates a capital campaign goal of $500K. At the writing of this article, the fundraising committee members and members of the board of directors have already pledged $73,000 to the campaign.

The Fundraising Committee has arranged multiple options for individuals interested in making either tax-deductible or non-tax-deductible contributions.  Every brother will receive a letter of invitation to donate to the campaign in the spring of 2026. In the meantime, if you would like to make a gift now to the Continuing the Tradition of Excellence follow the giving options listed below.

The first area of emphasis of the fund-raising campaign is house improvements. Why raise money for the Beta Gamma House? The Beta Gamma chapter house is the heart of our organization Remodeling the fraternity house is especially important given that our last renovation was 15 years ago. Over time, high-use areas such as the bathrooms and basement have experienced significant wear and tear, impacting safety, sanitation, and overall functionality. By concentrating our fundraising efforts on these spaces, we can ensure they are modernized, safe, and comfortable for all members. By request from the undergraduates, we are also planning upgrades to laundry spaces and increasing study spaces. Upgrading these key areas will greatly enhance daily living conditions, promote good hygiene, and create a more welcoming environment. Investing in renovations for the most heavily used parts of the house will have a lasting positive impact on our fraternity’s community, reputation, and ability to attract and retain members.

The second focus is scholarship. We aim to recruit top talent, reward high-achieving and high-character members, and reduce the undergrad chapter’s financial burden by funding National Leadership Conferences in 2026. We’ve established a new fund at the UW Platteville Foundation to give brothers another option. We offer New Initiate Scholarships to help with the increasing cost to join. The Grulke Scholarship supports engineering and building trades, while the Valstad Scholarship assists brothers with strong character and need. We also plan to support the Top Leaders Institute for leadership development. We need additional funds to meet of goals for the future.

The third segment of the fundraising campaign is reducing the house debt. Currently, we have a loan balance of $198,906 at Mound City Bank with just over 10 years remaining. Our loan is up for renewal in April 2026 with the interest rate going from 3.94% to over 6.25% on a 10-year loan. If we can pre-pay the debt by $100,000 over the course of the fundraising campaign, the new monthly payments would make us debt free in 5 years. Here are the benefits of paying down the debt: (1) improved cashflow, (2) build savings to help cover rising maintenance costs, (3) reduces our expenses, (4) keep lease rates to the actives more competitive, and (5) earn interest on savings.

Continuing the Tradition of Excellence Fundraising committee: Ken Gibson-Chair pkgibson59@gmail.com, Jeff Bode, Brian Donnely, Ken Fiedler, Bob Janes, Mark Keesey, Scott Laufenberg, Jay Long, Michael Long, and Dave Ward