First, the obvious, direct impact:

  • With this gift and the addition of three new residence halls on South Campus, we can boldly reaffirm our commitment to the core residential experience.
  • Plus, the net gain of 199 beds creates the swing space required for badly needed renovations across campus, especially to first-year residences.

Next, the not-so-obvious but game-changing impact:

  • With critical housing needs addressed, we can focus our fundraising efforts on scholarships and financial aid — ensuring that Kenyon’s residence halls and classrooms  are open to talented students from every walk of life and economic background.
  • With the support of 17,947 alumni, parents and friends who pushed past the original $300 million campaign goal five months early, we can raise our sights and continue the campaign, as Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial, with a new cumulative goal of $500 million to conclude in June of 2024. 

Finally, the needs that remain: 

  • What the $100 million does not do is directly offset any of the College’s nearly $163 million operating budget. Those dollars come from tuition, payout from the endowment, and donations to the Kenyon Fund, Kenyon Parents Fund and other annual funds. Because almost $44 million of the operating budget goes to financial aid, annual fund gifts are the most immediate way to support students.
  • Annual fund gifts remain a key campaign goal, at approximately $6.7 million a year. They also provide the flexibility needed to navigate crises like COVID-19, which caused an estimated revenue loss of $32 million this fiscal year (a number also unaffected by the $100 million).