Guilford Announces $60 Million Advancing Excellence Campaign
Guilford is entering the public phase of Advancing Excellence, a $60 million comprehensive fundraising campaign that will impact every area of academic and student services. Toward this goal, the College has already raised $42.3 million.
“Guilford College is at a critical point in its 175-year history,” said President Kent Chabotar. “Over the past decade, we’ve stabilized the College’s finances, improved our historic buildings and grounds and grown our enrollment. Advancing Excellence has a strategic focus on the programs and facilities that Guilford needs to respond to current and future opportunities.
“Even in tough economic times, the College has added new donors each year. Our alumni and friends have demonstrated a clear commitment to a vision of Guilford as a nationally recognized leader in liberal arts education,” Chabotar continued.
The major goals of Advancing Excellence are to build the College’s endowment; renovate and expand Founders Hall; and promote the annual giving funds.
“Guilford’s campaign goals are directly driven by the strategic planning process,” said Joseph M. Bryan Jr. ’60, chair of Guilford’s Board of Trustees and chair of the campaign steering committee. “Since Guilford’s current strategic plan emphasizes preparing students for success after college, Advancing Excellence places a premium on those programs that directly affect the student experience.”
Endowment: $31 million
The majority of funds raised will go toward the College’s endowment, strengthening Guilford’s long-term ability to prepare students to be future leaders and to support outstanding educators. The market value of Guilford’s endowment is $61 million.
A chief goal is raising $15 million to endow existing and new scholarships and student aid. The College currently offers institutional merit- and need-based aid, along with several leadership and service scholarship programs.
The campaign also calls for $5 million for faculty development and support, and $5 million to endow academic and co-curricular programs. $1 million will support the equipment and technological needs for Guilford Connects, for which students produce e-portfolios integrating academic and experiential learning.
An additional $5 million will endow the programs of the Center for Principled Problem Solving, including the Principled Problem Solving Scholars and annual Faculty Fellow. College Trustee Dan Mosca and wife Beth of Browns Summit, N.C., previously made a $2.5 challenge gift toward the center’s endowment.
Capital Projects: $19.5 million
One of the campaign’s top priorities is a 31,000-square-foot addition to Founders Hall, the campus’ central building, which currently houses the dining hall, student lounges, and offices for campus life and student organizations. A three-story addition to the building’s north side will include a 7,000-square-foot wellness center.
New housing for 88 high-achieving first-year students in Founders Hall will follow the living-learning community model, where students are enrolled in the same First Year Experience courses as their hallmates.
“It is well documented in higher education that first-year students who live together and enroll in the same classes perform better in the classroom and continue on to graduation at higher rates than other first-year students,” said Aaron Fetrow, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “This planned addition to Founders Hall shows the College’s commitment to our students’ growth and success.”
Additionally, the campaign plans to fund LEED Silver-standard renovations to Mary Hobbs Hall, the College’s oldest residence hall, and other buildings.
Annual Funds: $9.5 million
Gifts of any size made to the College’s annual funds make an immediate impact on current students, faculty, staff and community partners. They include the Loyalty Fund, which fulfills Guilford’s greatest needs; The Quaker Club, which supports athletics; Friends Center, the leader in Quaker programs in the Southeast; Friends of the Library; and the Center for Continuing Education Fund.
For more information and campaign news, visit excellence.guilford.edu.
