Guilford College

Donors to Guilford College gave or pledged almost $7 million during the past year, bringing the amount raised through the Advancing Excellence campaign to more than $50 million.

The year saw an increase in the number of alumni donors and in alumni donations to all funds – $3 million compared to $1 million the previous year – as well as an increase in alumni donations to Guilford Annual funds. In addition, the campaign has reached 80 percent of a $15 million goal for student scholarships.

“Advancing Excellence continues to gain momentum as we enter the final two years of the campaign,” President Kent Chabotar said. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors we are moving steadily toward raising $60 million or more to support student scholarships, faculty, academic programs and other initiatives that make Guilford a great value and a great place to receive a liberal arts education grounded in Quaker values.”

Two large commitments in June capped off the year:

• The Joseph M. Bryan Foundation of Greater Greensboro Inc. made a gift of $1 million honoring Joseph M. Bryan Jr. ’60 on 40 years of service to the College. Bryan is chair of Guilford’s Board of Trustees, of which he has been a member since 1973. He is chair of the Advancing Excellence campaign. Exactly how the new gift will be used consistent with the proposal made to the Bryan Foundation is to be determined and will be announced in the coming weeks.

• Trustee emeritus Ed Bauman and his wife Vivien of Greensboro made a $900,000 real estate gift to the College that is being used to support renovations to Founders Hall taking place this summer.  Ed Bauman was an active trustee for 19 years beginning in 1988 and has been an emeritus trustee since 2007.

Other large gifts in 2011-12 included $1.5 million from Joseph M. Bryan Jr. to complete a $3.5 million Bryan Series endowment, $384,000 from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation to create an environmental studies program endowment and $414,000 in cash and real estate from an anonymous donor for scholarships. The Bryan and Cargill gifts were announced earlier in the year.

“There were many positive trends this year,” said Mike Poston, vice president for advancement. “The fact that we are up in donors and dollars indicates that more people are realizing that making an investment in Guilford is wise and that the College is an asset to its students and to the greater community.” 

Along with $23.2 million for endowments supporting scholarships, faculty and programs, Advancing Excellence has raised $19.7 million for immediate needs and $7.2 million for capital projects.