Sterling College completes 60 for 60 fund-raising challenge

In May of 2018, Sterling College challenged its alumni and friends to honor Sterling’s sixtieth year anniversary with a gift of $60, and set a goal to raise $120,000 by June 30. The college is pleased to announce that the challenge has been met with a total of $129,932 raised, thanks to 322 gifts made in May and June.

“The 60 for 60 Challenge was an opportunity for alumni to support the work of their alma mater and for friends of the college to get behind the educational values that Sterling embodies,” said Jacob Trumbull, advancement and alumni relations officer. “These gifts show that providing scholarship opportunities to educate the next generation of environmental stewards is meaningful to people, and that providing affordable pathways for education is necessary and important.”

Sterling College was founded as a boys’ preparatory school in 1958, and has been an accredited four-year college since 1997. For this sixtieth year celebration challenge, a group of generous donors matched every $60 donation, dollar for dollar, up to $60,000. The challenge was in support of the Sterling Fund, which supports the college’s annual operating budget and provides financial access for students’ education. Nearly 100 percent of the current student body receives Sterling grant funding, and over 60 percent are eligible for Pell grants. Sterling alumni complete their degree with 50 percent less loan debt than the national average.

“Sterling College and its alumni have a 60- year history of rising to the challenge, the 60 for 60 Challenge being no different,” said Christina Goodwin ‘02, dean of advancement and alumni relations.  “As an alumna, I am so pleased to share that alumni donors increased 173 percent in May and June 2018 over 2017. We also saw a 100 percent increase in gifts from alumni parents.”

The 60 for 60 Challenge was the final push of a five-year Nourish the Roots Campaign that concluded on June 30 and generated $11.6-million in gifts and pledges. Of the $11.6-million total, $643,540 is in multi-year pledges from namely the Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors and $3-million is in planned giving commitments. ­–– from Sterling College.