Members of the Kenyon Fund Executive Committee encourage their fellow alumni to support the Kenyon Fund and helped exceed that goal in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2026.
Each year, the collective giving of people who love Kenyon — alumni, families, faculty and staff, students and friends — adds up to make the whole of Kenyon possible. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, one out of every four alumni made a gift to the College, out of roughly 20,000. Add to that: 200 grandparents (thank your nana!), 899 parents, 1,013 past parents, and dozens of faculty and staff.
Each of those gifts matters. They added up to $47,095,783 for scholarships, professors, internship support, athletics and more. Volunteer alumni with the Kenyon Fund Executive Committee and Class Agents were instrumental in generating $6,350,718 for annual funds like the Kenyon Fund and Kenyon Parents Fund.
It cost $198 million to operate Kenyon College last year, with one-third of that budget going to financial aid. Endowment income provided 18% of the total funding needed, with 3% coming from gifts to annual funds. That 21% provided through philanthropy is money that reduces reliance on tuition and impacts every element of the student experience.
Here are just a few stories about that generosity from 8,378 people from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026:
Reunion Weekend
Every year, more than 1,000 alumni return to the Hill over Memorial Day weekend to reconnect with each other and make new memories along Middle Path. Reunions inspire generosity each year, especially around the milestone 25th and 50th. Alumni volunteers work with Kenyon staff to set giving goals for their class and this year all were exceeded. The Class of 1981 won the Class of 1921 Plate as the class with the highest percentage of its members giving to the College (excluding 50th). The 50th Reunion Class of 1976 earned the Thomas Cup, combining to give $5,491,079 — the largest amount given and pledged to the Kenyon annual funds in the current fiscal year. Read about other awards and reunion giving.
Young Alumni
Among our newest alumni, 67% of the Class of 2026 made their first gift to Kenyon through their Senior Gift, bolstered by a continuing partnership with the Generosity Project to highlight the importance of giving back. At Reunion Weekend while celebrating their 5th reunion, the Class of 2021 won the Class of ’63 Cup, with the greatest percentage increase in dollars given to Kenyon annual funds over the previous fiscal year, while also increasing the percent of alumni participating in giving from 5% to 13%. This early demonstration of gratitude is particularly meaningful among alumni just beginning their careers and philanthropic relationships with the College.
Kenyon Together Giving Challenge
The annual 36-hour spring giving challenge, with an emphasis on Athletics, inspired 1,863 total gifts and $549,497 raised for Kenyon. The senior Class of 2026 had the most members of any class make a gift, taking advantage of a match from President Julie Kornfeld and Fred Silverman. The Class of 1977 donated more than $91,630 to the challenge in the year leading up to their 50th reunion, taking top dollar honors.
Third Century Founders
To secure Kenyon’s future and ensure permanent resources, Kenyon must grow its endowment, which trails many of our peers. In April 2025, a two-year initiative to raise $100 million for the endowment was launched with a $25 million gift from D. Matthew Voorhees ’95, chair of Kenyon’s Board of Trustees as of July 1, 2026. The first cohort of 21 donors was celebrated in April of this year, including George Layburn ’79, the second-largest donor to the effort.
Planned Giving
On the day he graduated from Kenyon College, George Layburn ’79 was determined to make a gift to his alma mater every year that followed. And he has — for 47 years — out of a sense of loyalty. In addition to his yearly gifts to the Kenyon Fund, in the fiscal year that ended June 30, Layburn made an outright gift to the endowment as well as a commitment through his estate, for the second-largest to the Third Century Founders initiative. He established the George Layburn Endowed Scholarship and named the Layburn Innovation Classroom on the second floor of Chalmers Library in 2021. With his latest estate commitment, Layburn will add to that scholarship fund and also establish an endowed professorship in the Integrated Program in Humane Studies in the name of his mother, Shirley Dinsdale.
Gifts of all Kinds
Donors are increasingly finding ways to support the College outside their checkbook, with a record high number of gifts coming from donor advised funds, qualified charitable distributions from IRAs (for those who qualify) and gifts of appreciated securities. The Kenyon Fund additionally benefits from bequests from generous alumni and others who have included Kenyon in their estate plans.
Learn more about giving to Kenyon.