philanthropic report 2021
Greetings from COLGATE HALL Last year was a record-setting year for fundraising at Colby-Sawyer in a number of ways. I want to thank the 2,552 alumni, supporters and friends who contributed to the college last year, raising a record $21.5 million and more than doubling the previous record set in 2019. This past year’s results include the largest gift ever received by the college, a $10.2 million investment in the college’s endowment made by William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56. Thanks in part to the Davidows’ gift and the generosity of so many who responded to the Trustee Endowed Scholarship Challenge, the college’s endowment has nearly doubled over the past year, growing from $38 million in 2019-20 to $64 million as of November 2021. The Davidows have ensured that our endowment will continue to grow through the Davidow challenge, which will match gifts made to endowed scholarships and will also match gifts made to establish new endowed faculty chairs. This past year, Colby-Sawyer also received the largest bequest in the college’s history, $2.9 million from the estate of Gail Graham Lee ’62. Most of Gail’s gift will be used to support the construction of a new $10 million home for the School of Nursing & Health Sciences. During the early stages of fundraising for this building, we have already raised more than 50 percent of the funds needed. You will be hearing more about this critical and exciting new project in the months ahead. Similar to the rest of the world, Colby-Sawyer has had to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic for the past 18 months. I am particularly proud of how the campus community has come together in important ways, enabling the institution to continue doing what we do best — in-person teaching and learning. It is also an exciting time as a result of several new programs at the college. This fall, we welcomed our first cohort of 24 students in an accelerated bachelor’s of nursing program as well as 12 students to our 5th year master of business administration program. In total, the college now enrolls more than 130 professional learners in our various programs. I am so very grateful to the many alumni, parents and friends who have supported the college this past year and helped us thrive during what has been a challenging period for so many colleges and universities. Your support has a direct and meaningful impact on our students’ experiences. Thank you! Kind regards,
Susan D. Stuebner President and Professor of Social Sciences and Education Volanakis Family Presidential Chair
A Record-breaking Year of Giving
$21,421,579.92 Colby-Sawyer College raised a record $21.5 million in fiscal year 2021, more than doubling its previous fundraising record of $10.6 million set in 2019. The $21,513,102 raised, the highest single-year total in the college’s 183-year history, represents a 381 percent increase over last year’s fundraising total and includes the largest gift ever received by Colby-Sawyer – an investment of $10.2 million from longtime supporters William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56. The college also saw an 18% increase in overall donors, with more than 2,500 individuals and organizations – the most since 2015 – making gifts over the course of the fiscal year. “I am deeply grateful to all those who supported the college this year,” Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner said. “The generosity of our donors in helping us achieve a record-setting fundraising year will have a tremendous impact on the complete experience of our students – from financial aid, to academic and extracurricular programs, to infrastructure and building improvements.
WHERE IT CAME FROM
69%
alumni
+ 13.3% foundations family foundations
12% friends of the college 5.5% other organizations .2% current + past parents WHERE IT WILL GO
61%
endowment
29% 5% 5%
capital needs + special projects Colby-Sawyer fund research + state support
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SCHOLARSHIP Recipients Jessica Shatford ’22 I have always aspired to be a nurse. Being in the nursing program at CSC has given me amazing opportunities. When I was three years old, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. I will never forget the nurses who took care of me. I was so afraid, and I did not know what was going on, and I will always remember the impact those nurses made on me. I aspire to be a pediatric nurse after I graduate. I want to make a difference in kids’ lives, just like those nurses did for me. I am so grateful to be a recipient of a scholarship. I wake up every morning and remind myself how important it is to be thankful each and every day. To be awarded a scholarship is an honor, and I cannot thank the donors enough!
Patrick Murphy ’24 I love being at Colby-Sawyer College. I feel connected with everyone here, especially my professors. I believe they truly want me to succeed in all of my endeavors, and they are always available if I need help. I am extremely grateful for the scholarship offered to me. I cannot express how much it means to me. Before I came to Colby-Sawyer, I was overwhelmed and stressed about how to pay for college. But with generous donors, it makes it possible for me to reach my goals. I cannot thank Colby-Sawyer donors enough, and I would not be here without their generous donation.
Madison Royea ’24 I love that CSC has shown me how to be unique. It has given me the opportunity to enjoy learning about psychology and all the things that I am able to do within the field. I chose this as a major because it has been my passion since I was in middle school. I have always loved to listen to people, and I want to be able to help others the best that I can. The scholarship I receive from CSC means the absolute world to me, as this school was a dream of mine to attend. I am so grateful to be able to call Colby-Sawyer my second home, as it’s shown me how to be the best version of myself that I can be.
ANNUAL DAY OF GIVING
1,314 donors + $340,372 raised 3
A TIME OF Giving
ENDOWED GIFTS
23 new endowed funds established and $11,410,815.26 raised
Gary Markoff recently established an endowed scholarship in memory of his late mother, Marylyn Goldstein Markoff ’55, at Colby-Sawyer. He said, “This donation comes out of a moment of inspiration. It was triggered by being at the right place at the right time with the right person. This gift is very meaningful to me.” Markoff said the future of the college is important to him. His mother often spoke fondly of her time at here at the school. Markoff’s father, Leon Markoff, donated annually to Colby-Sawyer until his death in September 2020. Markoff said he knew he wanted to continue his family’s giving to Colby-Sawyer, and when he learned that all gifts would be matched by the Davidow Scholarship Challenge, he knew the time to give was now. The Davidow Scholarship Challenge, established by William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56, matches gifts made to endowed scholarship funds. These scholarships offer financial aid support to students now and in the future. Donations of $2,500 or more are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Davidows, doubling the value of the gift. Putting himself through college thanks to similar scholarships, Markoff said he realizes the importance of these gifts to future Colby-Sawyer students. He said, “I understand what it is like to scrape up the funds to go to college. I was in that position, and am now in a position that I can give back. Your early years are for learning, your middle years are for earning and your later years are for giving. I’m at this point now, and I’m happy to do so.” A long-time resident of New London, N.H., Markoff said he knows that a strong Colby-Sawyer College makes a strong community. He said, “I am a strong believer in both the school and the town. I know that my mother would be proud and inspired to know that I continue to give back.”
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WHY PHILANTHROPY Matters: Newly Endowed Chairs Gratitude As the recipient of a Davidow Endowed Chair, I received an award that recognized my long-standing commitment to the vision and mission of the college but also helps to advance and promote my future research and teaching goals. The prestige of an endowed chair is recognized by the entire academic community — faculty, staff, students, alumni and other potential donors. It is a mark of financial and academic strength for an institution be able to celebrate endowed chairs among its faculty. The support of the Davidows boosts campus morale and inspires its employees.
Peter White
Professor School of Arts & Sciences
On a personal, more tangible level, the award affirms my efforts to excellence in education and is greatly appreciated. The additional monies for salary and research initiatives allow me to continue professional development in the areas which have shaped the last decade of my career.
In the past couple of years, I have been the co-project leader for two separate grants which help develop vocation and experiential learning in our liberal education program. In addition, I am the lead investigator of a National Science Foundation scholarship grant, which awards financial and academic support to Pell-eligible students pursuing a BS in biology. The recognition of the Davidow Endowed Chair made all that grant writing worth it! It allows me to do more with the funding that accompanied that title. Those grants can support professional development of some of my colleagues, and it inspires them to make similar efforts in the fields they are passionate about. The benefit to the students is even more widespread. I am deeply grateful to be the recipient of a Davidow Chair, but do realize that such philanthropy has a multiplier effect - and the snowball will only continue to get bigger!
LEGENDS SOCIETY
70 donors have been recognized for more than $1 million in giving
Darcy Mitchell Professor School of Business & Social Sciences 5
First of all, let me say what an incredible honor it is to have received a Sonja C. and William H. Davidow Endowed Chair. Teachers are highly intrinsically motivated; we work hard in the hopes that we can make a difference in the lives of our students. Our rewards come when we see the “aha” light come on for a student regarding a class concept, when we burst with pride at the progress our students have made at graduation, and when, amazingly, a graduate reaches out to let us know how we have contributed to their success. These rewards keep us committed to making our best effort every day. That said, how wonderful it is to receive tangible recognition for our work both inside and outside of the classroom! This is very meaningful to me. The funds that I’ve been granted for advancing my research and teaching are as
welcome as the honor itself. I recently began a new research agenda as the child development program has transformed to meet current priorities. To quickly bring my knowledge base up to date, I need to attend new conferences. Added to existing development grants, the endowed chair funds will allow me to attend the national conferences that include the latest research in the field. With that knowledge, I will be able to design research of my own — and then possibly be able to pay participants for their time. In the classroom, I’d like to pay a small stipend to guest speakers who can enliven teaching and learning with expertise in new arenas. There are so many ways that development funds can contribute to our teaching and research efforts that I am just beginning to think about the best ways to direct these funds. I am so grateful to have this challenge ahead of me in the next few years.
Colby-Sawyer’s endowment is actually a collection of many different funds, ultimately overseen by the Finance and Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees. Each year, the college draws approximately 5.5 to 6 percent from the endowment to help fund its annual operating budget. By seeing that investment returns remain higher than the amount withdrawn annually, trustees can ensure that the endowment will provide budget support to the college in perpetuity. Helped along by a number of successful initiatives, recent growth to the endowment has led to increased support for student scholarships and faculty compensation. In 2018, former chair of the Board of Trustees Peter Volanakis, along his wife Cathy, established the Trustee Scholarship Challenge, which added $2.7 million to the endowment and created 31 new scholarship funds. Last year, William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56 directed their entire record-setting $10.2 million gift to create endowed faculty chairs and new endowed scholarship funds. By setting aside $5 million of their gift to match donations made to endowed chairs and scholarship funds, the Davidows have encouraged others to join them in supporting these critical priorities. For more information about the Davidow Challenge, please contact the Advancement Office at 800.266.8253.
HERITAGE SOCIETY
Between 2016 and June 2021, Colby-Sawyer’s endowment grew 79 percent, rising from $34.9 million to almost $62.5 million. This increase can be credited to growth in investment earnings and to generous support from donors.
334 donors have shared bequest intentions with Colby-Sawyer
LONG-TERM IMPACT: Endowment Giving Makes a Difference
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SUPPORT COLBY-SAWYER TODAY COLBY-SAWYER FUND ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS CAPITAL GIFTS PLANNED GIFTS + BEQUESTS CORPORATE SCHOLARSHIPS MATCHING GIFTS GIFTS OF STOCK, SECURITIES + PROPERTY
learn more at colby-sawyer.edu/giving contact us at 800.266.8253 or giving@colby-sawyer.edu