Women can be found at the very beginning of Kenyon’s story going back two centuries, with Lady Rosse and Hannah More among the earliest patrons (and song inspirations).
At the turn of this century, just over three decades after the first women students were admitted to Kenyon in 1969, women began to regularly make up the majority of Kenyon students — now half of living alumni are women.
Today, women also make up one-third of donors of $1 million or more to the ongoing Third Century Founders (TCF) effort to grow the endowment by $100 million in two years. These modern founders are investing in the vision for Kenyon’s future, while today’s students have increasing access to hands-on learning opportunities thanks to such generosity.
Delaney Champeau ’26, was able to intern at the Child Mind Institute in New York thanks to Kenyon’s stipend support, where she focused on ADHD and behavioral disorders treatment, with emphasis on individualized, tailored education for young children. “This internship was one that consisted of experiential learning and helped me decide that I aspire to become a certified school psychologist; I am currently applying to graduate school for the fall,” Champeau said.
Trustee Christine Gould Sharkey ’80, with her husband John Sharkey, responded enthusiastically to the challenge to grow the endowment. “At a time when a liberal arts education has been under assault as too broad and irrelevant, I feel that Kenyon provides exactly the kind of education that could not be more relevant in today’s world. Having broad exposure to different disciplines and perspectives gives students the unique ability to draw on that foundation in an unpredictable and ever-changing landscape.
“Joining the Third Century Founder initiative to ensure that experience is preserved for generations of students was an easy call,” she said.
The effort, which will culminate June 30, 2027, launched last April with a commitment of $25 million from Trustee Matthew Voorhees ’95. Kenyon’s endowment stood at $680 million as of June 30, 2025; realizing the goal would add roughly $5 million in endowment investment income to Kenyon’s approximately $200 million operating budget each year.
Nettie Keck ’90, along with her husband Tom, is a member of the TCF leadership group and the inaugural donor cohort that will be inducted in April. “Giving to grow Kenyon’s endowment was very appealing because our kids have gone to bigger schools that have bigger endowments and it’s easy to see what that does for a school; Kenyon is absolutely fantastic as-is, but a larger endowment would just make it better and better.”
Every major new or renovated Kenyon building in the last two decades was largely funded by philanthropy. The Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial campaign concluded in 2024 having raised $532 million for all areas of Kenyon, including $110 million for endowed scholarships as well as the addition of the West Quad, revitalization of the Village and construction of Thomas and Winkler halls.
The Third Century Founders effort is welcoming a new generation of donors at a critical time in the College’s history, as the College adapts to become a stronger and more resilient institution.
“I think it’s achievable,” Keck said of the $100 million goal. “I believe it’s something we can pull off, especially on the heels of how generous people were during our last campaign.”
As college leaders assess priorities and timing for the next major fundraising campaign, growing the endowment will continue to be a focus to ensure long-term viability because investment income is a renewable source of funding. Gifts to annual funds such as the Kenyon Fund are spent the year they are received and touch all aspects of today’s student experience.
