The College of Charleston launched the public phase of its comprehensive campaign, BOUNDLESS: The Campaign for the College of Charleston on November 1, 2014. The $125 million campaign is the largest fundraising and engagement effort in the College’s history.
The campaign will support the next era of national distinction and educational excellence at the College by increasing scholarships, endowing faculty positions, growing distinctive academic and campus-life program support, upgrading facilities and bolstering annual giving.
“This is a historic moment for the College of Charleston,” said President Glenn McConnell. “The BOUNDLESS campaign will enhance the excellence in education and experiences we provide to our students and guarantee the limitless upward trajectory in which the College is heading. Through this campaign, we will elevate and build on the best of our past thus ensuring a bright, prosperous and ever-stronger future.”
RELATED: See more details about how the money will be spent.
The BOUNDLESS campaign is not simply about money. It’s a catalyst to engage in advocacy, service and philanthropy more than 57,000 alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, supporters and community members. It’s also about sharing and celebrating the remarkable achievements of our students, faculty, staff and alumni –– achievements such as students discovering planets and enacting social change; alumni identifying breakthrough research discoveries in public health and biochemistry; and the College making an economic impact locally and regionally that totals in the hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition, it’s about enhancing excellence so that the reputation of the College as a premier liberal arts and sciences institution grows nationally. And, it’s about creating a sustainable culture of philanthropy so that the College financially remains on a steady climb forward.
RELATED: Share what you think makes the College BOUNDLESS by using #BOUNDLESSCofC on Instagram and Twitter.
The BOUNDLESS Campaign’s Official Launch
On November 1 in the Cistern Yard, President McConnell issued a dramatic call to action to a crowd of more than 400 students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends at the launch event. He urged everyone to join him in the comprehensive campaign to offer students the life changing experience of a boundless College of Charleston education.
The event also featured showcases of campaign priorities of the 13 schools and units. The event finale was a dramatic 3D projection mapping video played on Randolph Hall. Over the next 12 to 18 months, students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and friends will be able to see this amazing display at BOUNDLESS events and viewing parties hosted by the College around the state and the country.
$110 Million Already Raised
The College has raised $110 million during the silent phase of the BOUNDLESS campaign, which began in October 2009 and will conclude by June 2016. As part of this total, the College has received significant and transformative million-dollar gifts in support of scholarships and many of the College’s distinctive academic programs such as Jewish studies, arts management, business, archeology, geology, education, and the Honors College.
“I am honored by the generosity of our donors and the vote of confidence they place in the BOUNDLESS campaign and in our future,” says President McConnell.
RELATED: Read more about the priorities and impact of the BOUNDLESS campaign.
The College has received gifts at all levels. During the silent phase, more than 20,000 donors made up of alumni, friends, parents, students, faculty, staff, corporations and foundations have donated to the BOUNDLESS campaign. Seventy-five percent of these donors have supported scholarships or annual giving funds. The flexibility of annual giving funds allows College leadership to direct them to the area of most urgent need such as scholarships, study-abroad stipends, or summer undergraduate research apprenticeships.
Steve Swanson, a 1989 graduate and former CEO of Automated Trading Desk, knows the power of scholarships first hand. Swanson, who is co-chair of the BOUNDLESS campaign, and his wife Emily, provided one of the first leadership gifts in the silent phase to establish the merit-based scholarship program, Swanson Scholars in the Honors College.
“I was a scholarship recipient. All of the important relationships in much of my life were found at the College,” said Swanson. “That’s why it seemed so natural that my wife Emily and I would give back to the institution that gave us so much.”
