Thomas College President Laurie Lachance M.B.A. ’92 is proud to announce, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, the successful completion of the College’s Guarantee the Future Campaign. After announcing the effort in October, at which time more than $26 million had been raised thanks to a historic investment from the Harold Alfond Foundation and the support of many alumni, faculty, staff, students, families, foundations, businesses, and friends, the College set out to secure $27 million by the end of 2020. Today, President Lachance shared that indeed, the College met that goal – and exceeded it, generating a total of more than $30 million for the Campaign’s goals and objectives.
“The meaning of this effort – guaranteeing the future – is especially salient today,” says President Lachance. “When we consider the changing nature of the world around us and the many challenges we face, the Thomas mission is paramount to our futures: to prepare students for success in their personal and professional lives, and for leadership and service in their communities. Because our community sees the value of a Thomas education and experience, we have enlisted more supporters than ever to make this work possible for generations to come.”
The Guarantee the Future Campaign included key areas of need for the institution, including ramping up scholarship aid to increase access and affordability; strengthening academic and student success programming by adding majors; expanding partnerships through the Harold Alfond® Institute for Business Innovation and bolstering professional and career development services; building a much-needed new athletic facility to create a home for the College’s varsity athletics program and its fans, as well as community visitors and guests; and, continuing to grow the Thomas Fund, the College’s annual fundraising effort, which provides flexible support for immediate use.
The largest portion of funds were directed towards scholarship support, including both expendable or immediate scholarship aid and endowment funding, which will provide scholarships to students in perpetuity and help sustain the College’s long-term growth. Of the $30 million secured, a full $10 million was for scholarship support.
Through the Campaign, the College received its largest philanthropic commitment ever, a $13.5 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation, as well as the largest gift from a living individual, totaling $2 million. In addition, thousands of individuals, companies, and foundations contributed to the successful effort through multiple-year pledges and donations to the Thomas Fund.
Campaign Co-Chair Doug Cutchin H’09, who met his wife Marie (Wing) Cutchin ’62 thanks to Thomas College, notes, “We have been deeply impressed with the College’s growth to a fine, small college with a curriculum that prepares graduates for productive careers and active community service. We are very aware of this history of growth and service to Maine students, especially first-generation students. This focused Thomas mission is one of the many reasons we have enthusiastically supported Thomas, and now this all-important Guarantee the Future Campaign.”