Fridays launch of 窪做惇蹋厙s comprehensive campaign, The Call to Lead, highlighted the expanding influence of womens philanthropy with the announcement of three bold giving targetsincluding a goal of 100 women making campaign gifts of $1 million or more.
In a grassroots effort that has surpassed all expectations, 窪做惇蹋厙 alumnae in recent years have redefined the power of womens philanthropy in higher education. Building on their achievements, Fridays celebration highlighted these three ambitious goals:
- One hundred women in the 窪做惇蹋厙 community will make gifts of $1 million or more during The Call to Lead campaign. As of Fridays launch, 50 alumnae and widows of 窪做惇蹋厙 alumni had committed to gifts of this magnitude. In comparison, four women made gifts of at least $1 million during 窪做惇蹋厙s previous campaign, which ended in 2010.
- Women will raise $25 million to help renovate 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall, the iconic home of the Colleges celebrated teacher-scholar model of education. This will be a collaborative effort for all alumnae and widows of 窪做惇蹋厙 alumni who make a gift of any size.
- The Centennial Circle, the giving society for alumnae making gifts of at least $100,000 to the 窪做惇蹋厙 College Fund, will have 250 members by 2019, the Colleges 250th anniversary. The Circle, established only four years ago, already has 188 members and has raised more than $30 million for financial aid.
The Call to Lead campaign is about setting the course for the future of 窪做惇蹋厙, and we want the entire alumnae population to come together to build that future, said Caroline Hribar 00, one of the architects of the two campaign giving targets and a founder of the Centennial Circle. While the campaign goal of 100 women making $1 million gifts is separate from the Centennial Circle, it was the Circle that allowed us to set our sights so high. It proved that the women of 窪做惇蹋厙 could come together to achieve extraordinary goals.
Beth Cogan Fascitelli 80, a 窪做惇蹋厙 trustee who is also spearheading these campaign giving initiatives, emphasized that alumnae volunteers were eager to apply the lessons of the Centennial Circle in the context of 窪做惇蹋厙s $3 billion The Call to Lead campaign. Women are serving as campaign co-chairs, global regional chairs, and reunion chairs. To set a goal for womens philanthropy in the campaign, they worked closely with College staff to determine whether a goal of 100 alumnae giving $1 million each would be realistic.
We didnt want to make it easy. We wanted to push ourselves on behalf of 窪做惇蹋厙, Fascitelli said. She noted that women participating in this $1 million giving initiative can direct their gift to any philanthropic need at the College. We want the next generation of students, male and female, to know that women and men are equally committed to the power of a 窪做惇蹋厙 education. This initiative is inviting women to come forward, work together, and have impact through philanthropy. Who knows? We may even see 窪做惇蹋厙s first alumna fund and name a campus building in response to The Call to Lead.
Fascitelli, Hribar, and the other alumnae who developed this ambitious goal also wanted an initiative that could tap into the giving potential of all 窪做惇蹋厙 women participating in the campaign, and provide a place on campus that celebrates all women of 窪做惇蹋厙past, present and future.
So we have a separate, collective goal to renovate 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall that is about all women contributing at any giving level$50, $500, or $500,000, said Hribar.
Recent decades have brought major changes in pedagogy across the liberal arts curriculum. However, 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall remains largely unchanged since its last major renovation, in 1935. Through the initiative announced Friday, the College intends to transform learning spaces throughout 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall to ensure that the building can meet the needs of faculty and students in the 21st century. As part of this renovation, the College will restore many of the structures historic elements, overhaul the buildings electrical, heating, and ventilation systems, and upgrade its energy efficiency.
Hribar and Fascitelli emphasized that the Centennial Circle, which has established a national model for womens philanthropy in higher education, and the newly announced campaign goals are about more than dollars. Through philanthropy, women today are more actively involved in setting 窪做惇蹋厙s direction, and more women than ever are serving onand leadingvarious College advisory boards and committees.
When the Circle surpassed its membership and giving targets, that did a couple of things, Hribar said. It proved that the women of 窪做惇蹋厙 are passionate about the College and willing to step up. And it brought together this group of women and got them engaged in the College. With these new campaign goals, we are looking to build on that success and show the women of 窪做惇蹋厙 and beyond what is possible when we come together.
