Keene State Continues to Expand Financial Support for Student Success

Thanks to strong efforts on the part of many Advancement staff members and campus partners, the college has seen an increase in support from gifts and fundraising campaigns, to help our students succeed. These efforts are critical as tax dollars meet only a fraction of the needs of our students and their families. Congratulations to the many contributors of Keene State’s financial success! Below is a quick round up of some notable examples:

• Thanks to great work by the TDS faculty, staff and students, along with Advancement staff and campus leaders, Keene State surpassed its goal of raising $1 million for the TDS Center. The TDS Center has contributed greatly to the college and to our students’ experience. The building continues to increase the level of engagement and commitment from business partners, alumni, and donors, while offering the space and technology that are necessary to preparing our future graduates for successful careers.
• Acknowledging the tremendous impact their funds have had on our students, the Ayling Foundation and Travelli Fund have chosen to continue their tremendous support for Keene State students. This year, they provided almost $70,000 for current use financial aid for students specially selected to participate in their programs. Dr. Anne-Marie Mallon, professor of English, continues to be the liaison with both funds and works closely with their executive director, Geoffrey Andrews, on our student interviews. Thank you, Anne-Marie, for your great work with these important funders! The lifetime giving totals (starting in 1989) from each fund are impressive –Travelli has donated $1,881,400, and Ayling has donated $1,360,000.
• The college received an estate gift from John C. Calhoun Jr. who had passed away several years ago. John was the spouse of Rosemarie Calhoun, a long-time member, supporter, and president of the Friends of the Thorne. John’s estate has provided a gift of $30,905 to Keene State to be used to support the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery. The president’s Cabinet voted to create a quasi-endowed fund with this gift in memory of John and Rosemarie to support the Thorne.
• Carroll Concrete has made a $5,000 pledge to the TDS Center Campaign. As you can imagine, Carroll’s business is tied directly to the construction industry and the recent increase in major building projects in our area has helped their business. Throughout the economic downturn, Sean Gillery, senior major gifts officer, continued to keep them interested in Keene State and his patience paid off with this recent gift.