Westminster College Sets 1,851-Minute Fundraiser for Feb. 25-26 | The Locally Times
The annual '1851 Challenge' will seek community and alumni donations during a 1,851-minute window from Feb. 25 to Feb. 26, 2026.
Westminster College has scheduled its annual 1851 Challenge fundraising drive to run for 1,851 minutes, beginning at 12:00 p.m. CST on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, and concluding at 6:51 p.m. CST the following day. According to an announcement on the college’s website, the event is a recurring campaign seeking community and alumni support. The college’s academic calendar places the fundraiser weeks after the Jan. 12 start of spring classes and just before the Churchill Fellows Weekend on March 6. The announcement for the 2026 drive does not specify a monetary goal. ## Fundraiser Coincides with Local Election Deadlines The college’s fundraising drive occurs during a week of local civic activity. 4, 2026, primary election opens on Feb. 24. That same day, absentee voting begins for the April 7, 2026, Municipal Election in Cole County. As Westminster College appeals for private donations, a public bid opening is also scheduled for Cole County on Feb. 26, according to published county agendas. ## Area Institutions Navigate Financial and Regulatory Deadlines Other local institutions are also managing key financial and regulatory timelines. State Technical College of Missouri moved its priority FAFSA deadline to April 1, 2026, for the upcoming academic year, citing a delayed federal rollout of the form in a public notice. The college guarantees awards for eligible students who meet the new deadline. In the public sector, Cole County Public Works faces an April 1, 2026, deadline to apply for its storm sewer system permit renewal from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The department also has public comment periods for two industrial operating permits closing in early March: one for Consolidated Grain and Barge Scott City on March 1 and another for Superior Industrial Solutions Inc. on March 8. ## Campaign Goals, Fund Allocation Remain Undisclosed The college’s announcement for the 1851 Challenge does not specify a fundraising target for the 2026 campaign or how the proceeds will be allocated among programs, scholarships, or capital projects. The provided documents also do not detail the results of past campaigns, such as total funds raised in previous years. Other information not included in the announcement are the names of any major donors or potential matching gift incentives.