Hobart and William Smith Colleges will hold its Day of Donors on Oct. 6-7, a 24-hour giving campaign to support scholarships, study abroad, internships, research and student life. The Geneva college says gifts of any size will count toward participation goals that could unlock an additional $25,000 for its Annual Fund.
According to the college's event announcement, 250 donors will unlock a $10,000 contribution from trustee Linda Arrington. If participation reaches 500 donors, board chair Joseph C. Stein III and Nancy Ann Hedges Stein will contribute another $15,000. Those are conditional challenge gifts, not money the college says it has already raised during this year's event.
Early giving is open before the Oct. 6 start. Donors can designate support for six areas: scholarships, study abroad, internships, research, student life or the college's greatest needs. HWS says its Office of Advancement will also be at Scandling Campus Center on Oct. 6, where students can write thank-you notes to supporters and join a trivia activity.
The college has published profiles of students whose experiences illustrate the campaign's priorities. Grace McCormick, a psychology major and field hockey player, said an Annual Fund scholarship made it possible for her to attend HWS. Isabella Miller, who studies biology and public health, described a funded summer research project on gene interactions using fruit flies.
Nicholas Short, a biology major, said a semester in Queensland, Australia, prompted an interest in ecology. Rupert Ramsay, an international relations and Asian studies major, described a Washington internship that placed him with a congressional office and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Juliza Ariza, a biology major, described scholarship support and international health internships.
Those students' accounts are examples supplied by the college, not a measure of the campaign's total reach. HWS says more than 600 students take part in internships and research each year. The college has not announced a fundraising target in dollars for this Day of Donors beyond the participation-based challenge gifts.
The 24-hour drive begins Tuesday, Oct. 6, and runs into Wednesday, Oct. 7. HWS says alumni, families, faculty, staff, students and other supporters can participate online or give early.
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