Stephens College announced a $15 million donation today by an anonymous donor, historically making it the largest gift the school has ever received. The donor has agreed that the college may use it to support its mission and invest in its future as it deems fit.
President Dianne Lynch said Stephens will invest the resources in strategic, creative ways that will help build on the college’s national prominence in both traditional academic programs and new areas of high marketplace demand.
“The next several years are going to be exciting,” Lynch said. “You’re going to see amazing things coming from the Stephens campus thanks, in part, to transformational gifts such as this one.”
Chair of the Stephens Board of Trustees Nikki Krawitz also noted the importance of the gift. She said the donor’s generosity is further confirmation that Stephens is an exceptional institution with a mission and tradition that merit exceptional support.
“It will allow us to invest in our campus, in our people and in our students—and just as important it confirms for the world that Stephens is an investment worth making,” Krawitz said.
Others present at the announcement said the donation could be used in a variety of ways to help the Stephens community. Vice President of the Institutional Advancement and Initiatives Meichele Foster said that it is exciting and it’s the beginning of many more to come.
“It makes it a little easier in that we can talk about Stephens as a place to invest,” she said. “We already have somebody who has already made a tremendous investment in our campus and believes in Stephens, believes in the leaderships and the direction that the college is moving.”
Director of Information and Technology Services Mark Brunner said that the faculty knew there was going to be an announcement as it is a fairly recent development.
“I think it shows that we’re on the right track and that we’re growing and we’ll continue to grow for many, many years,” he said.