Middlebury Ends Fiscal Year with Strong Fundraising and Alumni Engagement

Support came from alumni, parents, and friends of Middlebury College as well as the Middlebury Language Schools, Middlebury C.V. Starr Schools Abroad, Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences, Middlebury School of the Environment, and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

“This year’s giving and engagement are  important measures of the strength of our community,” said President Laurie Patton. “A true community involves active building; it involves reaching out. We could never achieve all we do without the generosity and active engagement of our alumni, parents, and friends. We are deeply grateful.”

All gifts made this fiscal year count toward the total for Middlebury’s campaign, which will launch publicly this fall. “For Every Future: The Campaign for Middlebury” will expand financial aid, ensure every student has access to the full Middlebury experience, support academic excellence, increase opportunities for immersive learning, and create campus environments that support the academic mission and build community. During the leadership phase of the campaign, Middlebury has received more than $300 million in gifts and pledges toward the goal of $600 million. 

This year alone, donors committed $28 million for financial aid; $11.8 million for experiential learning, including $5 million for the Innovation Hub; $22 million for academic excellence, including professorships; and $3.7 million for capital projects, including renovations at the Snow Bowl and to the baseball and softball fields.

“Education has the power to transform lives, empower communities, and shape a better world,” said Ted Truscott ’83, chair of the Middlebury Board of Trustees. “For Every Future is a deliberately inclusive statement. We’re talking about everybody’s future—anybody who comes to Middlebury—we want this to be about their future.” 

Alumni, parents, and friends participated at every level and in many ways. Gifts of $250 or less amounted to $551,929. Undergraduate alumni participation reached 33 percent with more than 6,994 alumni qualifying for the True Blue Society, which recognizes those who have given every year for at least three years. The senior-class-gift effort brought in 185 gifts to support opportunity grants through the Seizing Opportunities Fund and the Student Emergency Fund.

Reunion classes took a leading role in supporting Middlebury. All told, alumni in the class years ending in 3 or 8 gave or pledged a total of $36 million and achieved class participation ranging from 24 percent for the Class of 2018 to 67 percent for the Class of 1943, and overall Reunion classes participated at a rate of 40 percent.

Alumni, parents, friends, and foundations also supported the graduate programs. The Middlebury Institute received $7.3 million in gifts and grants, including a $2 million gift to expand the Center on Extremism, Terrorism, and Counterterrorism. Donors to the Language Schools committed more than $4.7 million for the Schools, including $2.8 million for scholarships. The Bread Loaf School of English received more than $1.7 million. A gift of $800,000 will sustain and augment Bread Loaf’s theater arts program, funding props, costumes, sets design, and equipment, as well as production costs, workshops, and visiting practitioners.

At the same time, the number of volunteers remains high with College alumni serving as career mentors and advisors, alumni admissions interviewers, class agents, class correspondents, guest lecturers, trustees, and members of the Middlebury Alumni Board and Annual Fund Executive Committee.

“Alumni and parent volunteer  involvement is invaluable,” Patton said. “Their dedication and commitment make a lasting impact on the lives of our students, enriching their educational experience and preparing them for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

Increasing engagement—through events, volunteering, and advocacy—is a key goal of the For Every Future campaign. Through it, Middlebury aims to engage 85 percent of alumni over the next five years.

“There will be many opportunities to participate in the campaign—through giving, certainly, but equally important, through active participation in the Middlebury community,” Patton said. “The gift of time is precious, and we appreciate everyone who finds a moment to spend with us. I hope all alumni, parents, and friends will join us.”