Campus life looks a lot different this semester, but even with all of the changes in place, Hamilton is still Hamilton because of the unwavering strength and devotion of our community.
That call to action propelled Hamilton at Heart, a day of giving held on October 1, to success. The event reached its goal of inspiring 3,517 donors to show their support with gifts totaling $1,696,681.
Hamilton was, is, and will continue to be a tightly knit community whose consistent theme across generations is mutual support.
In rising to the occasion, a group of 24 alumni and parents stepped forward with a pool of $470,000 to match each donation with $150. Gifts poured in throughout the day, with the goal of hitting 3,500 donors coming a few hours before midnight on the West Coast.
Alumni volunteers reached out via social media and email to their network of classmates to encourage support. On campus, students learned about how donors to the Hamilton Fund impact their experience on College Hill, with many making gifts of their own. Participants could watch in “real time” as the tally of donors and dollars grew.
Because Hamilton is a $400 million effort to fulfill the promise represented in the students we attract and the promises we make to those students during their search for a life-altering college education.
“Beyond the donors and gifts, perhaps the real benefit of our giving days is the sense of gratitude that alumni, parents, and other friends demonstrate for the College — that Hamilton was, is, and will continue to be a tightly knit community whose consistent theme across generations is mutual support,” said Director of Annual Giving Fred Rogers P’21. “This year, especially, we have a lot to celebrate and be glad for, and that was certainly apparent in yesterday’s results.”
Hamilton at Heart served as the unofficial launch of the 2020-21 Hamilton Fund, which concludes on June 30, 2021, with a goal of $7.2 million. The fund is a key part of the Because Hamilton campaign. Last year’s Hamilton Fund exceeded its goal and supported everything from student financial aid, to unanticipated costs associated with moving to remote instruction as a result of COVID-19, to support for Hamilton’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programming.