The “For Every Future” campaign, now in its third year of public fundraising, is close to completion, having raised 83% of its fundraising goal of $600 million and garnering 81% undergraduate alumni engagement, just 4% shy of its goal of 85%, according to the campaign’s website. With less than $38 million to raise, the campaign is the largest of its kind in Middlebury history and is anticipated to finish in June, two years ahead of the schedule it set when it launched in October 2023.
In a statement to The Campus, Dan Courcey, vice president (VP) for advancement and co-executive campaign director, Jami Black, associate VP for advancement and campaign operations and Alanna Shanley ’99, campaign co-executive director and senior associate VP for engagement, emphasized the campaign’s breadth as well as its quick success. It has five overarching priorities: access, academic excellence, experience, annual giving and capital projects.
The goal of access, the largest of the five priorities at a targeted $215 million, seeks to support Middlebury’s financial aid programs for its undergraduate and post-graduate students, as well as to strengthen non-tuition-based financial aid for items such as laptops, books and winter clothes. Last fall, the college ran a campaign soliciting gifts from first-time financial aid donors who had their donations matched from a $10 million fund.
Currently, students can request grant funding for winter clothing support once. First year students on financial aid receive a $500 semesterly book voucher for textbooks purchased through the college’s bookstore, and second, third and fourth-year students receive the same amount as a loan. Courcey, Shanley and Black stated that this campaign will “expand financial aid resources to meet the full financial need of every accepted student to enrich the exchange of ideas in classrooms and create the strongest student body possible” with “$180 million to strengthen and expand financial aid and $2.6 million for opportunity grants.”
Capital projects are another focus of the campaign, with the $46 million renovation of the Christian A. Johnson Memorial building and the construction of a $50 million new museum prioritized as the two key goals. But fundraising for the capital projects priority is the furthest from completion, with only 40% of the targeted $117 million raised so far.
The renovation of the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Building was completed in the fall of 2023, at which point the building reopened for classes. The planned new museum will occupy the area upon where Old Battell Hall currently sits; the old dormitory will be demolished after this academic year to make way for the new building.
Max Moltke ’28, an architecture student who has taken several classes in Johnson, has loved the renovated building.
“Johnson is one of my favorite buildings on campus, and I’ve really enjoyed the classes — especially in architecture — I’ve taken in there, and I enjoy seeing the classrooms enhanced with the latest technologies. The building really has a distinct style that separates it from others on campus,” Moltke said.
According to Courcey, Shanley and Black, $114 million of funds will go towards academics, including $31 million to establish 10 new named professorships; $56 million for experiential learning, including $6.7 million for student internships and undergraduate research and $9.8 million to create assistant coaching positions and support varsity sports.
Jack Scher ’28 is excited to see the school expand support from the Center for Careers and Internships (CCI) for paid summer internships.
“The CCI has been really helpful in organizing funding for my upcoming internship in Connecticut this summer. Even for things as simple as money for commuting and food for lunch, it's so nice to have Middlebury supporting me, and making it easy to take an unpaid internship that will help set me up for careers down the road. I’m glad to see them making these programs a priority in its fundraising efforts,” he said in an interview with The Campus.
Summer internship funding is currently capped at $1000 for first year students and short-term arts training or residences, and at $4000 for a minimum eight-week summer internship.
Regarding funding for assistant coaches, basketball player Henry Morrison ’28 thinks that it will play a key role in strengthening athletics across the board.
“We lost our head coach and when we brought in a new head coach, the assistants were key in keeping continuity, and it was especially helpful for culture building,” Morrison said. “Paying assistant coaches and giving them that money is important for all programs.”
Overall, alumni engagement for this drive was strong.
“We have been fortunate to receive exceptional support from members of the board of trustees and the alumni and parent community. One hundred percent of the board of trustees has supported the For Every Future campaign, and in total, more than 22,000 donors have donated to the campaign,” Courcey, Shanley and Black shared.
Alumni participation also took more forms than donations for this particular drive.
“We consider an alum engaged if they do one or more of the following: make a gift (of any size), volunteer, attend an event, or communicate with us directly. The engagement goal served to broaden the ways in which alumni could be part of the campaign, including offering non-monetary support,” the trio wrote.
When the drive completes in June, it will be two years prior to the planned completion date of June 30, 2028.
Courcey, Shanley and Black emphasized that success in this particular drive is built upon the office of advancement's longstanding relationships with donors and their focus on building alumni relationships at all levels.
“Our goal has always been to build lifelong relationships with alumni, parents, and friends, fostering connections that inspire philanthropic support and investment at every level. We are grateful to have received several truly exceptional gifts, including the largest bequest in Middlebury’s history. These contributions have been instrumental in achieving the campaign’s success,” they wrote.
Luke James Power '28 (he/him) is a News Editor.
Luke previously served as a contributing writer and as a news editor of "The Anvil" Middlesex school. He is majoring in economics and history. He is also a senior analyst with the Middlebury Student Investment Committee, and enjoys skiing, squash, and golf. He lives in Manhasset, NY.
