Crown Founders Challenge Surpasses Goal

In November 2020, noted business leader and philanthropist, the late Jim Crown 71F and his wife Paula gave $5 million to establish the Crown Founders Challenge, providing critical support for Hampshire’s Change in the Making campaign. This gift, the largest single donation since the founding of the College, created a pool of matching funds for gifts from the graduates of Hampshire’s first five entering classes of 1970–1975. The Crown’s investment inspired an additional $2 million from another founding donor, which brought the total challenge to $7 million. Thanks to donations from 579 members of the founding classes, reaching $7,414,838 in July 2024, surpassing the challenge’s ambitious goal. The $14,414,838 raised by this initiative represents 32% of the more than $45 million raised for the campaign to date.

“Since its founding, Hampshire College has challenged passionate students to create their own paths, gather the resources they need to solve problems, and take risks. The distinct education Hampshire College offers is an essential part of today’s higher education landscape.” — Paula H. and James S. Crown 71F (2020)

Launched in 2019, Change in the Making: A Campaign for Hampshire seeks to raise $60 million to fuel the college’s curricular transformation, enact its plan for financial sustainability, and maintain its leadership as a distinctive and experimenting institution.