Providence College Completes Most Successful Comprehensive Campaign in its History
The campaign, launched publicly in October 2014 with a goal of $140 million, hit the $185 million mark
Providence College (PC) today announced the completion of the most successful fund-raising campaign in the College’s 100-year history. Our Moment: The Next Century Campaign for Providence College, concluded this past weekend with a celebration on the PC campus that included trustees, students, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and friends. At the main event on Saturday evening, the College announced it has raised $185 million, over 30% more than the campaign’s original goal of $140 million when it was launched publicly in October 2014.
Our Moment was the most ambitious fundraising endeavor ever undertaken by the College. Over 35,000 donors – individuals, families, businesses, and foundations – participated in the campaign, a new record for the College. Forty-two percent (42%) of the College’s 55,000 alumni made a gift during the campaign, and 41 donors made commitments of $1 million or more. Campaign proceeds are being used to support student scholarships, improve academic and athletic facilities and programs, advance further the institution’s Catholic and Dominican mission, and increase the College’s endowment.
Providence College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80, said that, while it was important to raise funds to help build new facilities and upgrade others on campus, he is especially pleased that the campaign’s overwhelming success has increased PC’s capacity for scholarships and will help boost the College’s endowment, which also supports numerous other initiatives.
“The success of this campaign has allowed us to increase total financial aid to students to more than $70 million annually. It is important to me that we are able to fund the scholarships we need to attract the best students we can, and to ensure that Providence College remains accessible and affordable to those who wish to attend. We still have a great deal of work to do to bring our endowment to where I feel it needs to be so that we can remain competitive in what is an increasingly challenging environment for private higher education. But this campaign is a major step forward for us in all that it has allowed us to accomplish,” Fr. Shanley said.
“Providence College is at an incredible point in our history. We are experiencing unprecedented momentum academically, athletically, and within admissions. The philanthropic support of the Friar Faithful has been critical to our success thus far, and will be just as critical to our future success,” said Gregory T. Waldron, Providence College senior vice president for institutional advancement.
PC has already completed the construction of two new signature academic facilities, the Ruane Center for the Humanities and the Arthur & Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies. A third academic facility, a 35,000 square-foot addition to the College’s science complex, is underway and slated for completion in fall 2018. The new addition will include classroom, office, and lab space, as well as the renovation of approximately 8,000 square feet of existing space within the complex.
The College also is constructing the Ruane Friar Development Center, a multi-purpose facility attached to Alumni Hall and Slavin Center, which will include a two-court basketball practice facility. Phase II of that project will feature a new Center for Career Education and Professional Development, and an expanded, renovated ’64 Hall (the College’s largest function facility, located in Slavin Center). Also completed during the campaign were the construction of Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium, now home to the College’s soccer and lacrosse programs, the Ray Treacy Track and Field Complex, a new softball field, and renovations and an addition to Schneider Arena, home of the College’s ice hockey programs.
The Hon. William C. Leary ’60 & ’10Hon. and Kevin C. Phelan ’66 & ‘15Hon., trustees of the College, served as campaign co-chairs. Leary is a retired Judge of Probate for the District of Windsor Locks, CT, having served in that capacity from 1971 to 2008. He also served three terms in the Connecticut State Legislature. He is Of Counsel to the Law Firm of O’Malley, Deneen, Leary, Messina and Oswecki in Windsor, Connecticut.
Phelan is co-chairman of the Boston office of Colliers International, a full-service commercial real estate firm. He was honored for his service to Providence College at the College’s Black-and-White Dinner in Boston in 2013.
Founded in 1917, Providence College is the only college or university in the United States administered by the Dominican Friars. The Catholic, liberal arts college has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 3,900 students and offers degrees in 50 academic majors. Since 1997, Providence College consistently has been ranked among the top five regional universities in the North according to U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.
