$100 million new donation to university from Heider family is largest single gift in school’s history- raises their philanthropic giving beyond $220 million
Creighton University has announced a $100 million commitment from the Charles and Mary Heider Family Foundation, the largest single gift in the university’s history and the lead donation in its $300 million Fly Together campaign to expand athletics and student recreation.
The project will redevelop 12 blocks on the east side of campus with more than 700,000 square feet of facilities and outdoor spaces, including a new student fitness center, intramural and club sports venues, and community recreation areas.
An additional $105 million has already been raised toward the campaign’s goal.
The expansion coincides with a privately funded $650 million development adjacent to campus that will add an urban park, hotel, retail, dining, entertainment, office space, and student housing.
Creighton president Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson described the parallel projects as an “innovative partnership” that will link the life of the university with the life of the city.
The Heiders, among Nebraska’s most prominent philanthropists, have supported Catholic education, health care, parishes, and national Catholic initiatives for decades.
Their 2000 gift established the Heider College of Business, the first named college at Creighton, which has since doubled its undergraduate enrollment to more than 1,300 students.
The family has also endowed scholarships, funded residence halls, created faculty chairs in cancer research and Jesuit studies, and supported academic and athletic programs across the university.
Charles Heider, a longtime investment banker, played a key role in Omaha business history when he brokered Berkshire Hathaway’s 1967 acquisition of National Indemnity Co., the first insurance purchase that laid the foundation for Warren Buffett’s conglomerate.
He served on Creighton’s Board of Trustees for 17 years and received the university’s Alumni Achievement Citation in 2003. He and his wife Mary, together were honored by the Vatican as Papal Knights and Dames of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.
Their son, Scott Heider, a Creighton board member and trustee of the foundation, now leads the family’s philanthropic efforts with his wife Cindy, foundation president.
Their children, Courtney and Grant, both Creighton graduates, represent the third generation of Heider involvement with the university.
“My father always said: What’s good for Creighton is good for Omaha, and what’s good for Omaha is good for Creighton,” said Scott Heider.
“That’s what Fly Together is truly about—the University and the community lifting themselves to greater heights together. Our family is committed to setting the trajectory for the next 20 years and securing all Creighton means to Omaha.”