The Brighter Light Campaign, Kalamazoo College’s largest-ever fundraising campaign, has come to an end, raising a total of $203,236,489 from more than 16,500 donors.

Launched publicly in 2021, the campaign originally set out to raise $150 million to support “Brighter Opportunities, Brighter Minds, and Brighter Experiences” for K students through scholarships, faculty support, funding for study abroad and other curricular and co-curricular experiences, athletics and campus improvements.

In 2023, the College received an anonymous $30 million gift in support of residential life and student success programs—the biggest single gift commitment in the institution’s history. With the announcement of the gift, the College marked its 190^th anniversary by expanding its campaign goal to $190 million—a goal the institution has successfully surpassed.

“I am so profoundly grateful to the thousands of members of the K community and beyond who have given so generously to the Brighter Light Campaign,” said President Jorge G. Gonzalez. “This historic achievement—the largest fundraising effort in K’s history—shows that our community believes in the exceptional education that Kalamazoo College delivers to our students. The campaign’s success will support the College in implementing its strategic plan and enable K students and alumni to bring a brighter light to the world—today and for years to come.”

With gifts ranging from $5 to $30 million, generous alumni, parents and friends, along with numerous foundations and corporations, were instrumental in strengthening K’s ability to improve student experiences and campus facilities. Some of the funding highlights include:

• More than $81 million in scholarships to help K create Brighter Opportunities for more students, regardless of need.

• Investments in Brighter Minds—including five new and augmented endowed faculty chairs, faculty development funds, and endowed support of experiential learning centers and programs—to ensure K’s tradition of exceptional undergraduate teaching and mentorship continues.

• Gifts for athletics and arts programs, along with support for several critical campus projects, including construction of the natatorium, renovations to Stetson Chapel, modernized classrooms, and a new roof for Dow Science Center—that are helping to create Brighter Experiences for K students.  

• More than $89 million for the College’s endowment, providing vital support not only for today, but for generations of students to come.

Karen Isble, vice president for College Advancement, shared, “The success of the Brighter Light Campaign has been the result of the efforts of many colleagues—current and past—and countless hours by the dedicated volunteers who help us engage alumni and encourage giving each year. Today, we celebrate the thousands of K alumni and friends who have chosen to invest in Kalamazoo College through their philanthropy.”