News

On Friday, December 19, St. Olaf College and Carleton College made their annual donation to the City of Northfield at City Hall in the Council Chambers.

St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer and Carleton President Alison Byerly presented two checks of $90,000 — totaling $180,000 — to Mayor Erica Zweifel and City Administrator Ben Martig.

“The St. Olaf student experience is enriched by being part of the vibrant cultural and civic-minded Northfield community,” President Rundell Singer said. “For all of us at St. Olaf, bringing the Northfield community to our campus, as well as participating in town activities, supporting local businesses, and making our annual gift, illustrate the value and joy of being neighbors.”

St. Olaf and Carleton are the two largest local employers in both Northfield and Rice County, employing more than 1,700 people combined. They are two of the City’s top 10 property tax payers, in addition to spending over $1 million combined annually on municipal services such as sewer, water, waste removal, and more.

“Carleton’s close relationship to Northfield is an important part of our history and our mission,” President Byerly said. “It is our goal as a college to educate thoughtful citizens who will be valuable contributors to their communities, and we hope our students will begin by being good neighbors to Northfield. We are fortunate to be part of such a wonderful community, and our annual gift reflects our appreciation for all that the City of Northfield has to offer.”

The annual gift dates back to the 1920s, when St. Olaf and Carleton were among the first colleges in the United States to make such a gift.

“As a parent who has gone through the college selection process, I know that choosing a college for many families includes consideration of the safety and wellbeing of the community in which the college is located,” Northfield Mayor Erica Zweifel said. “I am honored that so many families choose Northfield for their college experience and I greatly appreciate the impact that both colleges have in our community.”

The Northfield community benefits from the students, employees, and visitors St. Olaf and Carleton bring. Students, faculty, and staff are significant consumers and clients for local businesses, and provide countless volunteer hours for local schools and organizations. In the 2024–25 academic year, 1,553 Carleton students contributed 48,854 hours to local communities through volunteerism, paid community work, and academic projects.

Last year, St. Olaf had 1,045 students participate in 42 Academic Civic Engagement courses, which encourage students to learn in a community context and apply their education within real-world situations. Sixty St. Olaf students also participated in Community Based Work Study programming, providing more than 3,500 hours of work with local community organizations and schools. These community partners and organizations include Northfield Public Schools, Clean River Partners, Community Action Center, Project Friendship, River Bend Nature Center, and Northfield Public Library.

A new community and economic impact study commissioned by St. Olaf and Carleton found that the two higher education institutions contribute $289.9 million toward the local Northfield–area economy and generate $13.4 million in local and state taxes. Bon Appétit, which provides food and dining services for both colleges, also spends more than $1 million in the community each year on local produce, meat, and dairy. The colleges annually sponsor community organizations and events such as the Northfield Arts Guild, Northfield Shares, Winter Walk, and the Defeat of Jesse James Days (DJJD) — including the beloved tradition of first-year St. Olaf choir students singing in the DJJD Parade. Additionally, Carleton is contributing $2 million in support of the Reimagine Northfield High School project.

Many St. Olaf and Carleton employees live in Northfield and are active in the community. The colleges bring thousands of prospective students and their families to the area each year, as well as family members of current students, who frequent local hotels, restaurants, and shops while attending festivities, competitions, recitals, concerts, award ceremonies, and commencements. Both colleges host many athletic, art, and musical offerings every year as well, which are almost always free and open to the public.