Wesleyan College, a women's college in Macon, Georgia, has announced that anonymous donors will go ahead with a $15 million matching gift to its Leap of Faith endowment campaign, even though, a year past its original completion date, the campaign is still $5 million short of its $30 million goal, the Macon Telegraph reports.

"We acknowledge [the donors'] decision with profound appreciation," said Wesleyan president Ruth Knox in a statement released to the press. "We are proud of our overall progress during the campaign period, but I want to make clear that Wesleyan has not yet completed the original Leap of Faith challenge under its current structure."

Susan Allen, vice president of advancement at the school, said the school will continue to raise money for its endowment, with the hope that the original fundraising goal will be met by the end of this calendar year. Allen added that more than 1,500 individual donors had contributed to the campaign, in amounts ranging from $5 to more than $1 million, and that the school had also received contributions from businesses, foundations, and grants.

Fundraising can be difficult for women's colleges and universities, especially for something as specific as an endowment campaign, noted Mark Whittaker, vice president for development and alumnae relations at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, a women's university with roughly the same number of students as Wesleyan. "Most people these days that are giving money understand that the endowment functions like a savings account," he added. "But brick and mortar still appeals more because you can see it and your name is on it."