Wofford College has announced the launch of the public phase of its most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of the college, “For Wofford: The Campaign for Wofford College,” with a goal of raising $300 million by October 2022.
“The ‘For Wofford’ campaign provides essential support for a strategic vision that promises to make Wofford College more relevant and important to the world than ever before, while also remaining true to the values that always have shaped Wofford and all of us who call it home,” President Nayef Samhat says.
The college already has raised $262 million toward the overall campaign goal. Among the campaign’s notable accomplishments are the new Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts, the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium and more than $32 million for endowed scholarships.
“Each gift is important to the campaign,” says Dr. David Wood, senior vice president for advancement. “Together, we have the extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate that we are ‘For Wofford’ by affirming the college’s place as a premier, innovative and distinctive national liberal arts college defined by excellence, engagement and transformation.” Four essential pillars of the Wofford experience serve as the key priorities of the “For Wofford” comprehensive fundraising campaign:
– “Student Opportunity in an Inclusive Community” focuses on recruiting and retaining outstanding students and providing access to a superior liberal arts education through endowed scholarship funding.
– “Excellence in Academics” focuses on attracting and supporting faculty who will engage, educate and mentor students and provide academic program support to enhance the liberal arts experience.
– “Distinctive Student Experiences” focuses on supporting hands-on, experiential learning that occurs across fields, disciplines and programs designed to prepare superior students for meaningful lives as citizens, leaders and scholars.
– “Our Historic Campus” focuses on improving the physical campus to create dynamic learning and living spaces that encourage discovery and collaboration and that make Wofford College distinctive.
Campaign leadership is headed by chair Dr. Danny Morrison of Sullivan’s Island, S.C., Wofford trustee and 1975 graduate and professor at the University of South Carolina, and vice chair Chris Carpenter, Wofford trustee and 1990 graduate and partner with Garrett McNatt Hennessey & Carpenter 360 in Atlanta. Members of the campaign steering committee include Mike James (ex officio), chairman of the Wofford Board of Trustees, 1973 graduate and former general partner in WEDGE Capital Management in Charlotte; John Bauknight, 1989 graduate and founder of Longleaf Holdings USA LLC and other businesses in Spartanburg; Jimmy Gibbs, trustee and founder/owner of Gibbs International in Spartanburg; Neel Hipp with Hipp Investments in Greenville, S.C.; Laura Hoy, trustee from Surfside Beach, S.C.; Dr. Mary Keisler with Cherokee Veterinary Hospital of Lexington, S.C.; Wade Keisler, 1980 graduate, with Hawthorn Development Properties of Lexington, S.C.; James Meadors, 1981 graduate, with Meadors Inc. in Charleston, S.C.; Steven Mungo, 1981 graduate, with Mungo Co. in Irmo, S.C.; Ed Wile, 1973 graduate, with USB Financial Services in Atlanta; and Joyce Yette, 1980 graduate and chief legal officer for Promontory Financial Group in Washington, D.C.
For more information or to participate in “For Wofford,” visit www.wofford.edu/forwofford. Follow the campaign on social media using the hashtag #ForWofford.