The Campaign for the Dartmouth Experience reached the $1 billion mark this past December, the College announced on Jan. 17. The campaign, which aims to raise $1.3 billion by the end of 2009, is the largest fundraising initiative in the history of the College.
Following controversy around the addition of eight unelected members to the Board of Trustees in fall 2007, the number of donations to the campaign decreased, but the average size of each donation increased, Carolyn Pelzel, vice president for development at the College, said. The result did not significantly affect the campaign, she added.
Currently, the campaign is ahead of schedule, and has raised 77 percent of its goal in 73 percent of the elapsed time, according to Petzel.
Sixty-five percent of alumni have already contributed to the capital campaign. Dartmouth has the second highest rate of alumni donations in the Ivy League, just behind Princeton University.
"I think it speaks to the quality of the experience that students have in Dartmouth," Petzel said. "It has quite an impact on them while they're in Hanover and throughout their lives. They're grateful for that experience and want to give back to it."
The College divided money raised from the campaign into four strategic categories: $711 million for academic enterprise, $186 million for residential and campus life, $166 million for financial aid and $244 million for annual giving. Money raised for the fund has endowed professorships and supported many construction projects on campus, including the Fahey-McClane and McLaughlin residential clusters, the Haldeman Center and Kemeny Hall.
"The campaign is about a highly personalized educational experience," Pelzel said. "It's also about having the opportunity to pursue passions in the arts, sports and public service. We called it the Dartmouth experience rather than the education because coming to Dartmouth is a total experience."
Philanthropic donations account for a third of the College's operating costs, while 10 percent are paid for by annual donations and 22 percent by the College's endowment.
Future projects include the construction of a new dining hall and significant financial aid for low-income students. Students from families with incomes of $75,000 will not have to pay tuition beginning in the 2008-2009 school year.
According to Pelzel the campaign is currently ahead of schedule and has raised 77 percent of its goal in 73 percent of the elapsed time. She added that even if the College reaches $1.3 billion ahead of schedule, the campaign will continue to raise money to fully fund the initiatives it has set forth. The Dartmouth development office has begun post-campaign planning and is working with the College to set funding priorities for after 2009.
