As a college president I've been asked to sign several pledges on behalf of my institution. My decision to sign is always predicated on the match between the pledge and the mission of my institution. This is my first and perhaps only personal pledge of this sort.
At an institutional level, when there is a concordance between the mission and the expectation of the pledge, the pledge can work... Read full letter

With this letter, I am pleased to pledge my personal support and contribution to The President's Pledge Against Global Poverty. As the President of Loras College, I am proud of our students' extraordinary commitment to service. Annually, they contribute over 60,000 hours of service to those who have need – locally, regionally, domestically and internationally. As such, Loras has been named... Read full letter

No person should have to suffer because he or she does not have access to basic necessities like sufficient food, clean drinking water, and essential medical care. I firmly believe that we have the ability to significantly reduce extreme poverty at home and globally, but it will not happen until more people are willing to speak up and act on behalf of those who cannot.
As the president of a... Read full letter

As President of Washington & Jefferson College (W&J), I emphasize to students that we are citizens of the world. At the matriculation ceremony, our students learn about W&J’s mission to “graduate men and women of uncommon integrity, competence, and maturity…who are prepared to contribute substantially to the world in which they live.” Civic responsibility,... Read full letter

To those whom much has been given, more is required.
These words, spoken by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of Luke, call me to participate in the Presidents’ Pledge Against Poverty.
As a first-generation college student from a family of limited means, I was taught by my parents the importance of giving to those who had even fewer resources than we did.
Because of their... Read full letter

A measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable.
I am honored to add my name to the list of the many college and university presidents who participate in The Presidents’ Pledge Against Global Poverty.
--The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., Ed.D.
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I have chosen to participate in The Presidents’ Pledge Against Global Poverty to add my voice and personal resources to this noble effort that addresses the overwhelming disparity between the wealth of the first world and the poverty of the third world.
As president of Canisius College, one of the nation’s 28 Jesuit colleges and universities, I identify strongly with the goals... Read full letter

I chose to join the President's Pledge Against Global Poverty because I agree strongly with the basic premise of the Pledge. The radical inequalities in our world today must be addressed, to make it more likely that people in all countries have a chance to live safe, healthy, fulfilling lives. These inequalities cannot be reduced unless those of us who are comparatively well off in richer... Read full letter

The President's Pledge Against Global Poverty represents not just a concrete example of leading by doing, but more importantly offers an opportunity to profile the extraordinary efforts of often ordinary individuals who, when working together, can advocate to bring about change. This is a fundamental value taught across the institutions represented.
As the president of a unique institution... Read full letter

I am honored to be able to join my President Colleagues. Hopefully the portion of our salaries that we give to the Poor will make a significant difference, and it may even encourage other Presidents to do the same.
I am very happy that my religious community is willing to take some of my salary for the fight against Global Poverty. We Vincentians follow the life and example of St. Vincent... Read full letter

At Niagara University, our mission statement guides us to inspire students to serve all members of society, especially the poor and oppressed, in local communities and in the larger world.
For that reason, I am honored to join my colleagues in The Presidents’ Pledge Against Global Poverty.
I am pleased to say that this pledge is a continuation of Niagara’s service work in... Read full letter

As president of Alverno College, I am honored to participate in The Presidents' Pledge Against Global Poverty.
Located in Milwaukee, WI, our college grapples with poverty every day, both on a local and global level. Milwaukee's poverty rate is nearly 30% – this includes approximately half of the city's children and ranks ours as one of America's ten most impoverished large cities.... Read full letter

I am choosing to participate in The Presidents' Pledge Against Global Poverty as a result of several recent visits to the West African country of Sierra Leone where current Houghton students, faculty, and alumni continue a college tradition of engagement with that country that began in the 1880's. I saw Sierra Leone educators seeking to improve themselves and the future opportunities of their... Read full letter

I am honored to take The Presidents' Pledge to end global poverty. I hope that my commitment, joined with those of other college and university presidents, will demonstrate that positive actions can and do make a powerful difference for the life of the world. It can be easy to say that global poverty is too big an issue – that it is beyond our sphere of influence to change. Instead of... Read full letter

My wife and I are pleased to make this pledge. When we consider all the people who give of their lives to help those most in need, how could we not provide such modest support as this commitment asks of us? And so we give freely as an expression of thanks to those selfless others who are doing good to eradicate the effects of poverty, particularly among the young, the under-educated, the... Read full letter

I am proud to join the President's Pledge Against Global Poverty, uniting with colleagues in taking personal, public action toward a world where everyone's basic needs are met. Each of us has had the privilege of education, and I believe it is incumbent on educational leaders to participate in efforts alleviating circumstances of injustice. Poverty and hunger severely limit people's capacity to... Read full letter

At Augsburg, we teach our students the theological concept of vocation and how it offers them a framework for decisions they make about their lives – their careers, community service, family life, engagement with a faith community, and philanthropic activity. What are you called to be and do, we ask, and in what ways will your life tell a story of the deep links between faith, learning and... Read full letter

I am pleased to be part of The Presidents’ Pledge Against Global Poverty because I trust it will help to alleviate suffering and raise hope in places where both of these goods are much needed.
My four grandparents emigrated from Ireland to America because of the poverty and prejudice they faced at home. Knowing three of them made me understand what disadvantaged people can contribute... Read full letter

I have joined the Presidents' Pledge Against Global Poverty because it expresses a commitment that I strongly endorse. We who have more than our share of resources can and should contribute to opportunities for those who have scant prospects. As the son of immigrant parents who now spends a lot of time in impoverished parts of our world, I feel this imperative acutely, and I am pleased to join... Read full letter

Baylor University has always been an institution that strives to be a model of service and generosity, and I am deeply privileged to have the opportunity to serve a school that in turn serves the world. Just as the 20th was the American Century, the 21st is the Global Century. We are called to be more keenly aware of and sensitive to those whom Scripture calls "the least of these."
I am... Read full letter

Every two years, six million children die of preventable causes – a number comparable to the Holocaust. I often wonder, “Where are the Dietrich Bonhoeffers of our day? Where are those who courageously and sacrificially work to prevent such suffering?”
For the first time in history, we have the resources to eradicate extreme poverty. Yes, it is a complicated, daunting task.... Read full letter

The conditions of poverty seem to have been a part of life since the earliest recordings of the human story. In recent years, however, these ongoing conditions has been exacerbated by the dynamics of wealth being concentrated in the hands of a very few people and nations to the direct disadvantage of the very many who are poor. As a president of a college and a seminary rooted in the great... Read full letter