The Campaign for Grinnell College now in full swing
Oct. 21, 2019 — Grinnell College has embarked on a $175 million fundraising campaign to provide life-shaping experiences for future generations of change-makers.
Connie Wimer, a Grinnell College Trustee, unveiled The Campaign for Grinnell College at a launch event Thursday evening in Des Moines hosted by Wimer and her husband, Frank Fogarty. The comprehensive campaign will encompass all gifts made to the College through June 30, 2021.
“We have seen how Grinnell graduates have brought leadership and intellect into communities around the globe, and how they infuse a focus on social justice into everything they do,” Wimer says. “The world needs more Grinnellians, and this campaign is about equipping future generations of Grinnell students with robust and diverse opportunities that will allow them to serve the common good.”
Trustee Connie Wimer tells a story to leadoff The Campaign for Grinnell College launch event Thursday at the Temple for the Performing Arts in Des Moines.
Grinnell’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign in 20 years has six specific philanthropic campaign priorities.
- Scholarships and Financial Aid
- Individually Advised Teaching and Learning
- Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS)
- Institute for Global Engagement (IGE)
- World-Class Facilities
- The Pioneer Fund
“The priorities of Grinnell’s campaign are all about ensuring that future Grinnellians have life-shaping opportunities and experiences that enable them to pursue their purposes and passions, while continuing to make a positive impact at all levels,” says Michael Kahn ’74, a Trustee and co-chair of Grinnell’s Campaign Committee. “Working individually, within organizations of all sizes, in small communities and large cities across the nation and around the globe, our students and alumni consistently have a positive impact on the world at all levels. This has been the case since Grinnell’s inception, and we want to make sure it is the case for generations to come.”
A series of special campaign launch events – led by alumni, students, faculty, and President Raynard S. Kington – are taking place in 11 cities during the next year. The events are open to all Grinnellians. See the campaign events page for a full list of dates and cities, and registration information.
Grinnell College President Raynard Kington, left, talks with Rania Mohamed Robb ’03; and Mark Peltz, Daniel and Patricia Jipp Finkelman Dean of Careers, Life, and Service; at the Des Moines campaign event.
The $175 million goal marks the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of the College. The campaign officially began in 2013, and with the leadership of generous donors, the College has already raised more than $162 million.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who are leading the way for the campaign, but by no means are we resting on our laurels,” said Jaci Thiede, vice president of Grinnell College Development and Alumni Relations. “Gifts to Grinnell are as important as ever. Grinnell’s excellence and the College’s incredible access and support for students from all backgrounds, are made possible by investments from alumni and friends of the College.”
Through devotion to a diverse student community and need-blind admission, Grinnell has amplified access to a rigorous liberal arts education for first-generation students, minority students, and international students. Philanthropic support is essential to this effort, Kington says.
“To continue the work of providing the world with more Grinnellians, the College needs to remain a financially sustainable organization for decades to come,” he says. “It takes incredible resources to sustain incredible outcomes. This campaign is about all of us coming together to make Grinnell even greater.”
—by Jeremy Shapiro
For your information:
The campaign website provides information about fundraising priorities, campaign progress, ways to participate, and stories about how Grinnellians change lives.