News

St. Olaf College has launched a $200 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to advance key programs and opportunities that directly benefit students — from faculty-mentored research and off-campus study to financial aid and interdisciplinary learning communities.

For the Hill and Beyond: The Campaign for St. Olaf has had immediate success, raising $125 million from more than 17,000 individual households, businesses, and organizations during an early leadership phase of the campaign.

The most recent gift, a generous commitment from Lawrence ’76 and Lynn Seifert Stranghoener ’76, will enable St. Olaf students to participate in the college’s signature study abroad program, Global Semester, for the same cost as studying on campus. The Stranghoeners have established an endowed fund that will underwrite program costs above the college’s comprehensive fee for the faculty-led program, which takes students to six countries throughout the world.

“This gift illustrates the kind of impact this campaign will have on our students — providing them with increased access to educational experiences that will continue to shape their life long after they leave the Hill,” says St. Olaf President David R. Anderson ’74.

For the Hill and Beyond, which is scheduled to reach its goal by 2020, focuses on four funding priorities:

• Advance High-Impact Learning ($68.5 million)
  • Enrich and expand off-campus study, faculty-mentored undergraduate research, internships, and the Conversation Programs
• Strengthen Community ($31.5 million)
  • Support the construction of the college’s first on-campus indoor ice arena, an increasing number of student organizations and clubs, and two centers to facilitate community-wide reflection and dialogue on complex issues
• Enhance Affordability ($65 million)
  • Continue meeting the demonstrated financial need of every admitted student
• Sustain Our Mission ($35 million)
  • Increase alumni participation and annual giving to the St. Olaf Fund, which helps bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of educating St. Olaf students

“These priorities reflect the promises we have made to our students — to help them find their purpose, and to prepare them to lead productive, fulfilling, and purposeful lives,” Anderson says. “In a time of change and uncertainty, a St. Olaf education sets graduates on solid paths to leadership in their lives. That is why the time is now, as we approach the college’s 150th anniversary, to build the financial resources that will position the college to continue flourishing in the decades ahead.”

Learn more about the campaign’s goals and priorities in the video below.