In the fiscal year that included a bicentennial celebration, donors helped make more history for Kenyon with their gifts to support today’s student experience and investments in Kenyon’s third century.
From July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, 4,915 alumni and 2,723 others who love Kenyon — including students, parents, faculty and staff — gave nearly $76 million to the College.
Gifts to annual funds touch all aspects of life on the Hill, powering Kenyon’s nearly $200 million operating budget. Last year, most donors directed their giving to these funds, combining to give $5,848,026 to the Kenyon Fund, Parents Fund and other annual funds that support financial aid for today’s students, 23 varsity sports, 200 faculty and more.
Other donors chose to make long-term investments in Kenyon’s future, leading to the largest fundraising year in Kenyon’s history (not including those with single gifts of $75 million for the West Quad and $100 million for South Campus housing).
The $75,954,993 given to Kenyon included the announcement of Third Century Founders, a two-year effort to add $100 million to Kenyon’s endowment. D. Matthew Voorhees ’95, a member of the Kenyon Board of Trustees, made a lead gift of $25 million to launch that effort as well as an initiative that will connect Kenyon’s interdisciplinary learning with hands-on experiences to equip students to tackle the challenges of today.
Students Rise to Challenge
Members of the Class of 2025 rose to the Senior Gift challenge in impressive numbers, with 351 students — 71% of the class — combining to give $2,931, no small amount for college students. The Senior Gift is the first time students are asked to give back to Kenyon and is designed to begin their philanthropic relationship with the College.
Student Advancement Officers are advocates for the annual fund on campus, helping to educate their fellow students. They also contact alumni to ask for their support and answer any questions, as do class agent volunteers.
Immediate Impact
Other operating gifts went to immediate use, including the Generosity Project effort that resulted in 1,000 books donated by the campus community to the International Book Project in Lexington, Kentucky, which were scheduled to be transported to Ukrainians displaced by the war with Russia.
Also last year, for the first time two travel-embedded courses were available to students at no additional cost, thanks to donors who gave specifically to fund them. These immersive courses combine classroom learning with related travel for hands-on experience with the subject matter. Students explored ancient temples in Greece and the impacts of tourism and conservation in the Galápagos Islands over spring break.
Kenyon Together Giving Challenge
The annual spring giving challenge, with an emphasis on Athletics, inspired 1,740 total gifts in 36 hours, raising $677,264 for Kenyon. Members of the Class of 1985 stood out with their efforts, with 74 gifts. Students represented 17% of the gifts during the challenge, with 37% of all varsity athletes giving. Parents were also inspired to join in, making 350 gifts for 20% of the challenge.
Reunion Year Giving
Over Reunion Weekend, the Class of 1985 took home the Class of 1921 Plate, which recognizes the class with the highest percentage of its members giving to the College (not including the class celebrating its 50th reunion), after combining to give $336,116 to Kenyon’s annual funds.
Reunion Weekend was enhanced by generosity, with an all-reunion picnic on Peirce lawn underwritten by the Class of 1995. In addition, two alumni, Adrianne Kimber ’99 and Sheldon Kimber ’99, made a gift to cover registration for all members of the Class of 2020, whose time at Kenyon was cut short by the pandemic. This encouraged 151 members of the class to return for reunion — the largest number of any reunion class.
Investments in Endowment
Growing the endowment remains a key area of focus for the College. A larger endowment would relieve reliance on tuition revenue year-to-year and allow more students to attend Kenyon, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
Other donors made investments in Kenyon’s endowment, providing the College with sustainable, renewable funding in these and other designated areas:
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Two Kenyon Review Fellow positions are now fully funded thanks to an anonymous donor who completed efforts begun by earlier Kenyon Review supporters.
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Jon Katz ’62 chose to honor the now co-ed Greek service organization with a gift to name Archon Auditorium in Oden Hall.
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The Wright family of Mount Vernon established a full-tuition scholarship for a top Mount Vernon student and supported internship opportunities in Knox County and around Ohio.
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Jack Au ’73 made a gift to fund the Lunar New Year celebration and other cultural celebrations in perpetuity.
Read more about the impacts of giving to Kenyon.