Ever Forward: The Hotchkiss Campaign

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First capital campaign in 30 years:

Meeting and Surpassing the Goal

Ever Forward, Hotchkiss's first capital campaign in 30 years, has concluded with remarkable success, surpassing both the Campaign's original $250 million goal and its ambitious $300 million stretch goal for a total of $304.6 million. This remarkable achievement reflects the strength of the Hotchkiss community and its shared commitment to the School's future.

“This is a moment to celebrate our entire community, whose belief in and affection for our School made this landmark achievement possible,” Dr. Anne Bruder, head of school, and Tim Sullivan '81, P'13,'16, president of the Board of Trustees, said in a joint statement. “Together, alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends who joined the effort have made Hotchkiss a far stronger institution. That will benefit our current students and generations of students to come.”

Ever Forward’s success will have a lasting impact on The Hotchkiss School. The Campaign strengthened the financial aid endowment, established five new endowed teaching chairs and a coaching position, and transformed the campus through significant investments in facilities. The School’s future was further secured through gifts to the general endowment, including both immediate-use support and long-term commitments through pledges and bequests. In addition, The Hotchkiss Fund generated $49.7 million in vital current-use support.

“Throughout the Campaign, the generosity and dedication of the Hotchkiss community were a constant source of inspiration,” Dr. Bruder and Sullivan said. From the 1,588 first-time donors who made their first gifts to the 61 leadership gifts of $1 million or more, Ever Forward reflected an extraordinary commitment to the School.

“Hotchkiss is especially grateful for the leadership of Campaign Chair Tom Edelman ’69, P’06,’07, whose vision and dedication helped guide this historic effort," they added.

“This is a moment to celebrate our entire community, whose belief in and affection for our School made this landmark achievement possible...Together, alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends who joined the effort have made Hotchkiss a far stronger institution. That will benefit our current students and generations of students to come.”

Dr. Anne Bruder,
Head of School, and Tim Sullivan '81, P'13,'16, President of the Board of Trustees

Amount raised

$304,670,438

6,792
donors

1,588
first-time donors

6 years
of impact

61 gifts
of $1 million or more

Generosity at Every Level:

The Numbers Behind the Milestone

$15MM: The largest single gift to the unrestricted endowment.
A profound expression of faith in Hotchkiss’s future.
61 gifts of $1MM or more:
Each gift is a transformational statement of commitment to Hotchkiss’s mission.
621 donors gave more than $25,000:
Their generosity accounts for more than 95 percent of all funds raised during the Campaign.
6 gifts of $10MM or more:
During Ever Forward, Hotchkiss received six gifts of $10MM or more. Before this Campaign, the School had received four such gifts in its entire history.
42 new scholarship funds:
Each one is a permanent, named commitment to student access and opportunity.
$58.8MM in planned gifts:
Through the Town Hill Society, donors have made estate commitments totaling $58.8MM. We also welcomed 70 new members to the Town Hill Society during the Campaign.

CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES & IMPACT

Daily Impact:

The Hotchkiss Fund

While the Campaign reached for historic heights, The Hotchkiss Fund kept the School running at its very best. It is the most immediate gift any donor can make, and our community delivered.

$49.78MM raised through The Hotchkiss Fund during the Campaign.
From $5.8MM to $7.2MM in annual fundraising goals, and exceeded virtually every year, The Hotchkiss Fund grew alongside the School’s ambitions.

Providing Access:

Financial Aid

During Ever Forward, our donors supported financial aid with extraordinary commitment.

$75.6MM raised for financial aid—the single largest priority in the Campaign, creating scholarships and access for generations of students.
42 scholarship funds have been established since the Campaign began, including the Craig W. Bradley Scholarship.

Investing in Teaching:

Faculty Support

Outstanding students come to Hotchkiss because of an outstanding faculty. Investing in the people who teach, mentor, and inspire is among the most important things we can do, and Ever Forward made that investment real.

$17.2MM for faculty support raised to attract, retain, and celebrate the extraordinary educators who shape every student’s experience, and their lives long after they graduate.
Campaign gifts have helped create endowed positions and have supported the Walter J. Crain Fellowship program.

Expanding What's Possible:

Program Excellence

Ever Forward invested in key programs, initiatives, and experiences that make the School unique.

Student Research Programs: Our student research programs are entirely funded through donor gifts, and they represent an innovative approach to secondary education, one that distinguishes the School among its peers for its commitment to student research in the areas of literature, history, math/physics, art history, and environmental science.
Athletics: Ever Forward invested in several programs, including squash and rowing; facilities improvements such as the re-turfing of Sprole Field; and adding an assistant director position to support coach development, student leadership programs, and student-athlete recruitment.
Community Initiatives: The Campaign brought dedicated support for 50th Anniversary of Coeducation at Hotchkiss, including financial support to produce the Women of Hotchkiss: The First 50 Years documentary.
$33MM for Program Excellence: Program-related giving exceeded original expectations, reflecting donor responsiveness to initiatives as they developed over the course of the campaign.
$21.2MM to the General Endowment: Unrestricted endowment gifts included the largest single commitment in the Campaign: a $15MM gift that is the second-largest gift in the School’s history.

The Hotchkiss Dining Commons South East View

Building for Generations:

Campus Renewal

The places where students learn, live, compete, and create matter deeply. Ever Forward invested more in campus renewal than any previous campaign in the School’s history, reshaping our physical campus for the next generation.

$74.1MM raised for campus renewal.
24 percent of all Campaign funds were directed to transforming our campus—the single largest area of investment by final totals.
Hurst Hall: Memorial Hall was renovated and renamed to provide expanded apartments for resident faculty and a reconfigured common space on the ground floor. The renovated Common Room and new Memorial Quadrangle remember Hotchkiss graduates who made the supreme sacrifice in foreign wars.
Dining Commons and Bissell Dining Hall: The renovation added 11,000 square feet, and seating expanded to accommodate 525. The new facility has offices that house the College Advising Office, along with extra meeting rooms and study spaces. The renovation also created new entryways, a terrace, and modernized food prep areas and servery.

Thank you for making this campaign extraordinary!

The Ever Forward campaign has done more than raise $304.6 million. It has built endowments that will last centuries, facilities that will welcome generations, and scholarships that will change lives. Most of all, it has shown, in the most tangible way possible, what the Hotchkiss community can accomplish.

We are ever grateful to all of you.