Hampshire College Kicks Off Major $60 Million Fundraising Campaign

AMHERST — Hampshire College kicked off a major capital campaign, announcing it has already raised $11.2 million in gifts toward its campaign goal of $60 million by 2024. The campaign will help launch Hampshire’s second half-century as an independent college, as Hampshire prepares to ring in its 50th anniversary year in 2020.

“Change in the Making: A Campaign for Hampshire” will harness the outpouring of alumni and community support for the college this year and couple it with a bold new framework for the Hampshire curriculum and student experience. Its accreditation maintained last month, Hampshire is now actively reinventing its academic program with innovations aimed at recruiting students, making its program more sustainable financially, and transforming higher education following the college’s mission.

The campaign is currently led by four alumni co-chairs: Ken Burns (’71), award-winning documentary filmmaker; Gail Caulkins (’73), president of the Greenacre Foundation and former Hampshire College trustee; Lucy Ann McFadden (’70), retired astrophysicist, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, and a member of the Hampshire board of trustees and chair of its advancement committee; and Julie Schecter (’71), director and trustee of numerous organizations, including the SHIFT Foundation, co-founder of Hampshire’s Ethics and the Common Good program, vice chair of Hampshire’s board of trustees, and chair of its trusteeship and governance committee.

The co-chairs are working actively to secure additional major gifts, supported by a campaign council, a diverse group of volunteers that represents the board of trustees, major donors, college leaders, faculty, staff, students, and parents. The campaign is administered by Chief Advancement Officer Jennifer Chrisler and the college’s Advancement Division staff.

Hampshire seeks to secure an additional $3 million in commitments before the end of 2019, toward the campaign goal of $60 million in unrestricted operating support by June 30, 2024.

“We are creating a big tent for multiple constituencies to participate, engage, and connect more deeply with Hampshire,” Chrisler said. “Our goal is to foster a genuine culture of philanthropy to secure a long future for Hampshire.”