Give Light: Jon Sisk
Jon Sisk, BBA ’05
When he joined the team at Truett Seminary in August 2019 as director of development, Jon Sisk, BBA ’05, inherited a fundraising goal of $50 million as Truett’s part of Give Light, a $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign for the future of Baylor.
“A little scary, is how I would describe it,” Sisk said. “That’s a steep hill to climb. But you just look at each other and say, ‘Let’s go.’ You put one foot in front of the other and start putting out messaging and talking to folks, trying to articulate what Baylor’s up to and how Give Light is going to move the University forward.”
As Baylor continued to advance toward fulfilling its fundraising goals, Truett saw its donor base grow exponentially as well, becoming the first academic unit to meet and exceed their goal. Truett—the smallest of the twelve schools and colleges at Baylor—set a shining example in the campaign.
“Year by year, watching the gifts come in—some gifts we anticipated, others we did not,” Sisk added. “It really shows how Truett alumni, Baylor alumni, and those that see the value in a strong seminary education offered a firm affirmation for what Truett’s doing right now across so many different areas.”
“We have a dream to have an endowed scholarship for each student enrolled, and we are almost there.”
Jon Sisk
Each unit had specific projects and initiatives within the larger Give Light campaign, with student scholarships being at the core of Truett’s fundraising efforts. The team greatly exceeded its goal of 50 endowed scholarships.
“As Truett’s student enrollment increases each year, so too does the need for student scholarships. Endowed student scholarships directly impact Truett’s ability to recruit, enroll, and equip students for future ministry,” Sisk said. “I continue to be amazed at the generosity and kindness of so many coming alongside to ensure Truett has the ability to support current and future student needs.”
Despite challenges specific to decreased enrollment trends across higher education and the global trials of the COVID-19 pandemic, friends and supporters of Truett continued to step up to support the Seminary and its students, faculty, and staff.
“I think it shows two things,” Sisk said. “2020 was a year where many folks noticed that the world needs good seminaries and good ministers. In order to do that, we need our seminaries to be strong. Those times really revealed the good that Truett was doing. The world needs Baylor, and the world also needs a strong Truett Seminary. I hope that is what was revealed over the last few years.”
A football letterwinner in his days as a student at Baylor, Sisk previously served for seven years in multiple roles within Alumni Engagement at the University. During that time, Sisk was part of a team that saw tremendous growth in building out regional teams to meet people where they are. Following that lead in his development role at Truett, Sisk helped expand Truett’s fundraising efforts to the national stage.
“We learned that donors in our regional markets, when thinking about Baylor and wanting to give to Baylor–they wanted Truett in those conversations,” Sisk said. “We saw time and time again that we would receive gifts and support from those that are not in our traditional markets. It’s been undeniable that the national and global focus for Truett Seminary has helped lead to a more national and global base of support.”
A native of Conroe, Texas, Sisk and his wife Whitney, BBA ’09, were married in Truett’s Paul W. Powell Chapel in 2009 and have four children. His connection to Baylor and Truett goes back several years, but it was his appreciation for the Seminary that led him to join the Truett team and help contribute to its continued success over the last four years.
“I just have a high affinity for what Truett stands for,” Sisk said. “Just a real appreciation for what Truett Seminary means in Baptist life and more generally in seminary life. I’ve always admired Truett from afar, but the opportunity to work here has been a real grace.”
While the Give Light campaign was an enthusiastic success for Truett, the work of the Seminary and the needs for partnership and provision are enduring. Baylor is in the planning phases of its next fundraising campaign, but the work continues. The generosity of the Truett community still goes first and foremost to supporting its students.
“While the Give Light campaign is definitely sunsetting, our purview would be to continue our great work in student scholarships so we can continue to recruit good students,” Sisk said. “We have a dream to have an endowed scholarship for each student enrolled, and we are almost there. We are closing the gap. This reduces the cost of tuition for any and all who graduate from Truett and helps to mitigate leaving a weight of debt across their shoulders when they leave here.”