Third Century Campaign has raised $200,035,374 in gifts and pledges to date

Published 8:27 am Wednesday, March 28, 2018

By LAURA COLEMAN PRITCHARD

Centre College 

With nine months left until its official conclusion, Centre College’s Third Century Campaign has surpassed its $200 million goal.

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The Third Century Campaign, announced publicly in 2015, will prepare the college for a third century of service and will conclude in January 2019 during Centre’s bicentennial. So far, the campaign has raised $200,035,374 in support of student scholarships and financial aid, faculty and academic programs, and capital improvements.

“While we have all known this day was coming, it is exciting to be over the top of the Third Century Campaign’s $200 million goal nine months ahead of schedule,” said Jim Seabury, chair of the Third Century Campaign. “Even more exciting to me are the opportunities we have left to pursue and the chance we have to exceed the goal in a really big way.”

The Third Century Campaign launched with a strong start from two lead gifts establishing two new scholarship programs.

One, the Grissom Scholars Program, established by Marlene and David Grissom, began in 2015 and each year provides 10 full-tuition scholarships and additional educational enrichment funds for high achieving first-generation college students.

The second, the Lincoln Scholars program, began in 2016 and is funded through the Lincoln Challenge, an effort to raise $20 million that will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a $20 million anonymous gift. The Lincoln Scholars Program provides 10 full-ride scholarships in each class and covers room and board, fees, books and enrichment funds for study abroad, internships or undergraduate research. Recipients of this scholarship have the capacity and a deep desire to change the world.

“When we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Centre’s founding in January 2019, that occasion will be all the more joyful because members of the Centre family have given so generously to prepare the college for its third century of service,” said John Roush, Centre College president. “We are grateful.”

The Third Century Campaign will continue in earnest, with several events in key geographic regions planned for the coming months.

“To be sure, this is an exciting milestone,” said Shawn Lyons, vice president for development and alumni engagement. “Nonetheless, there are regional campaigns underway and more to come. Many donors are considering their own commitments to the campaign, and while we’ve met the overall fundraising goal, there are a number of individual funding priorities that remain underfunded. This will be our focus over the next nine months as the campaign continues to gain momentum.”

More information about the Third Century Campaign, including information on individual funding priorities, is available at www.centre.edu/campaign.