Alumni, parents and others who love Kenyon are responding to the opportunity to make a historic impact during Kenyon’s third century with generous investments in the vision for the future of the College.
Following a lead gift of $25 million in April from Kenyon Trustee Matthew Voorhees ’95 to launch the Third Century Founders initiative, more than a dozen donors have made new gifts of $1 million or more to Kenyon’s endowment.
Kenyon is first in the hearts of many students and alumni, but what it boasts in affection, it trails in resources. Among peer schools, the size of Kenyon’s endowment per student lags behind Carleton, Hamilton, Denison and others. Bragging rights aside, having a larger endowment allows an institution to admit more students regardless of their ability to pay, while also providing a buffer against fluctuations in enrollment and therefore tuition revenue. The aspirations of Third Century Founders include providing sustainable resources to realize the priorities of the strategic plan, among them growing Kenyon’s distinctions.
Work is underway to create several cross-cutting themes, or pathways, for students to explore courses across majors and departments as well as build a portfolio of experiences from related internships, research opportunities and fieldwork. Kenyon Trustee Chris Eaton ’89, a member of a leadership group of trustees for the initiative, along with his wife Colleen Eaton ’87, joined the effort with an endowed gift to the pathways initiative.
“While my family’s connection to Kenyon runs generations deep, we know that loyalty must be paired with action. To ensure the College thrives in its third century, we must embrace innovation and evolution,” he said.
“Importantly, this push for change is also designed to preserve the College’s essential mission: to be the premier institution for teaching writing, critical thought and communication skills. Achieving this vision requires significant capital. We are excited to collaborate with fellow trustees and alumni on this critical endeavor.”
Trustee Mark Israel P’26, a member of the leadership group, along with his wife, Melissa Best P’26, are parents to a Kenyon senior. They joined the effort with a commitment to reimagined experiential learning. The Israel family endowment will provide stipends for student internships and research experiences, with an emphasis on ensuring the programs are accessible to students with sensory, developmental, behavioral or physical disabilities. “Given our excitement about Pathways, we hope that every student has an opportunity to participate fully in the program, and we hope our gift can be an important step toward that goal.”
President Julie Kornfeld shared her appreciation for the significant support. “The central work of the strategic plan, which is both rooted in our mission and responsive to market interests, calls for working across disciplines, putting learning into practice and helping students link their experiences in and out of the classroom with their aspirations for the future.
“I am grateful and energized that our most generous donors are responding to this vision, allowing us to make real, measurable gains in growing our endowment for this and other priorities.”
An induction ceremony for the first cohort of Third Century Founders will take place on campus in April.
Raising $100 million for Kenyon’s endowment in just two years would be another record fundraising achievement, following the success of the $532 million Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial campaign, which saw gifts from 22,886 people to all areas of Kenyon. The campaign allowed for the construction of the West Quad, revitalization of the Village, addition of Winkler and Thomas halls and raised $110 million for scholarships, while at the same time generating consistent annual giving at all levels to power each day of learning on the Hill.
Adding $100 million to Kenyon’s endowment, which stood at $680 million as of June 30, 2025, would add roughly $5 million in revenue to Kenyon’s approximately $200 million operating budget each year. With every major new or renovated building in the last two decades largely funded by philanthropy, campus is well-equipped for its next century of living and learning. As college leaders assess priorities and possibilities for the next comprehensive campaign, expanding experiential learning while growing the endowment for scholarships will be among the considerations.