Flexible Financing Scores Big On (and Off) the Field

Houston Christian University (HCU), a small liberal arts college, wanted to bring football to their campus as a next step in their long-term growth plan. They began construction on a football field but needed a way to pay for the project’s next phase—stadium seating for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. While HCU successfully raised enough funds to cover this important second phase, the donations were pledged over the course of 5–7 years, far past the university’s timeline. Faced with this financial hurdle, HCU sought a way to accelerate their project and stay on schedule for football’s kickoff season in the fall.

– Loree Watson, Associate V.P. Financial Operations, Houston Christian University

To find funding that fit their timing needs, Houston Christian University turned to First American. After reviewing the pledge schedule, First American provided HCU with a custom financing solution that aligned the incoming donor pledges to cash outflows for the lease payments. This structure allowed the university to realize the immediate benefit of monetizing their donations and get started on their stadium seating. Plus, it opened opportunities to utilize working capital for other investments and programmatic goals on campus.