Surpassing $100 Million, The Campaign for Spelman College Moves Toward Goal 

Thanks to the commitment and generosity of donors to Spelman, the College has passed the $100 million mark in The Campaign for Spelman College and is off to a great start in securing the remaining $50 million.

“The willingness of donors to share their time, treasure and talent will ensure that future Spelman women have life-changing experiences that will enable them to change the world,” said President Beverly Daniel Tatum.

Kassandra Jolley, vice president, Institutional Advancement, agrees. “Our vision for the campaign is to enhance the educational opportunity for every Spelman student scholar and we’ve made significant progress toward our goal of raising $150 million,” said Jolley. “To produce forward-thinking, socially conscious change agents, we need continued support of our fundraising efforts.”

Since the Campaign was launched in 2004, the College has achieved the following important milestones:

Raised to Date

• Scholarships:  $37.9 million
• Faculty and Academic Programs:  $36 million
• Annual Fund/In-Kind Support:  $20 million
• Campus Environment: $9.5 million

The gifts from contributors have allowed Spelman to uphold its reputation as a leading national liberal arts college for women.  The College has awarded more scholarships; more students have been able to travel abroad; faculty and students have had more research opportunities; important campus initiatives such as the endowment for the Women’s Research and Resource Center and support for the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art have flourished; and the institution was able to break ground on LEED Silver level renovation of Laura Spelman Rockefeller Hall, which includes a state-of-the-art 24-hour study commons.

These achievements are even more important because they were attained in great part through the increase in alumnae participation, which has nearly doubled from 21 percent to 41 percent since the 2004 campaign launch. This participation supports the campaign goals, which are aligned with Spelman’s 2015 strategic plan. Campaign priorities include providing access to a global education for every deserving young woman as well as the financial means to support their journey. Other primary objectives are to attract and retain exceptional students, fostering leadership, expand undergraduate research and career-related internships, enhance the College’s alumnae connections, and increase service learning.

For more information about The Campaign for Spelman College, please visit Change. Means. Action.  — Joyce E. Davis is the editor of Inside Spelman and associate director of Publications for the Office of Communications.