Lives That Speak: The Campaign for Haverford Surpasses Goals

After seven years and more than $269 million given, Haverford College completed Lives That Speak: The Campaign for Haverford on June 30, 2017, surpassing its initial $225 million goal by 19.8 percent. The campaign, which was undertaken to fund the priorities of the Haverford 2020 strategic plan, was supported by more than 15,000 donors who affirmed the value of a Haverford education.

"The success of the campaign shows that our community understands that the Haverford experience is more relevant in the world today than ever," said Chair of the Board of Managers Rick White '81. "Our mission of providing an academically excellent experience deeply infused with ethical engagement has never been more important."

Lives That Speak raised more than $40 million for financial aid, including 81 new endowed scholarships, to allow the College to continue its commitment to making a Haverford education accessible for all admitted applicants by meeting all demonstrated financial need.

Not only did the campaign exceed its top-line monetary goals, but it also met every financial target for each of its stated priorities, addressing not just physical aspects of the campus, but programmatic aspects of the College as well.

"Our buildings aren't just buildings, our buildings are activating new and innovative academic programs," said Vice President of Institutional Advancement Ann Figueredo '84. "And to see that all happen simultaneously is a lift to our academic core that this College has not experienced in 100 years."

The campaign realizes the strategic plan for new and expanded academic programs in global perspectives, social policy and public value, and visual and computational studies, including the new minors in health studies, environmental studies, and—starting this fall—visual studies. In service of this evolving curriculum, it is also supporting major renovations of the library and key facilities for biology and psychology (Sharpless Hall), music (Roberts Hall), and visual culture, arts, and media (the Old Gym).

"The specialization of knowledge and technology demands of education today put upward pressure on education costs," said Board Chair White. "Haverford does a great job managing those costs, but delivering an exceptional education our modern world requires also implies new labs, equipment, and facilities."

Positioning the College for continued excellence and relevance in a rapidly changing world, Lives That Speak is also making crucial investments in academic advising, career development, ethical leadership programming, and community engagement to ensure that members of an ever more diverse family of Haverfordians realize their full potential. This includes the introduction of the Office of Academic Resources, which was founded in 2012 to enrich and enhance the academic life of all Haverford students; the Chesick Scholars Program, a four-year mentoring and leadership program for talented students from underrepresented or under-resourced backgrounds; the Ethical Leadership Summer Institute, which doubled in size and scope for its recent second year; and other new and growing initiatives such as the Public Policy Forum, the Haverford Innovations Program, and the Haverford Documentary Lab.

The campaign also enabled the creation of the new, state-of-the-art Kim and Tritton residence halls and 16 new faculty positions across disciplines.

Ultimately, and perhaps most importantly, the campaign helps ensure that Haverford will always have the resources, flexibility, and increased capacity needed for innovation and responsiveness to changing needs.

"In higher ed—not just at Haverford—because we’re run as perpetual institutions and are careful with endowments, to innovate requires philanthropy,” noted Figueredo. “The model sustains only that which already exists. If you want to do something new, you need to have a plan and you need to have a campaign to fund it."

That plan was Haverford 2020, which articulated the College's values and developed, through collaboration between students, faculty, staff, and alumni, a shared vision for its future. The success of the campaign certainly affirms that collective vision, but it also reflects the commitment of the more than 15,000 donors who chose to let their lives speak through their personal philanthropy.

"At Haverford we develop thinking and take action collectively, and the Lives That Speak campaign is one illustration of how this small but ambitious college can accomplish big things when we are united in purpose," said President Kim Benston. "Many voices can be heard within the Plan for Haverford 2020. Together they express the common vision of a Haverford education as an intellectually rigorous and ethically attuned preparation of students for lives of service, creativity, and leadership in an increasingly complex global landscape. The Lives That Speak campaign was carefully aligned with the strategic  plan to provide the means for achieving so many of our aspiration; its success demonstrates a shared commitment among faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, and friends to future generations of students and scholars who will carry on the work of learning that is transformative and uplifting. I could not be more proud of our community and what we are accomplishing together."