The Every Carl for Access Challenge will offer $7 million in matching funds to increase financial aid resources at Carleton.
As the Every Carl for Carleton campaign nears its targeted end date of June 30, 2021, a final challenge has been announced to help the college reach its goal of raising $150 million for financial aid and helping all talented, deserving students access Carleton’s distinct liberal arts education.
Funded by Bill Buffett ’55 and Susan Kennedy, Leslie Kautz ’80 and Jack Weiss P ’15, Barbara ’70 and Wally Weitz ’70, P’96, P’99, P’02, and an anonymous donor, the Every Carl for Access Challenge will match gifts of $50,000 to $2.5 million that establish or add to an existing endowed scholarship fund. It will also incentivize planned gifts by creating an Every Carl for Carleton endowed scholarship fund, with the ultimate goal of encouraging Carls to support low- and middle-income students in perpetuity. And, recognizing the transformational impact a Carleton education provides for first-generation students, $2 million of the challenge encourages donors to add a preference for assistance for these students.
“A Carleton education is truly life-changing, which is why financial aid is a top priority for the college right now,” said President Steve Poskanzer. “And the best way to help the most students—in the most secure and dependable way—is through endowed funds.”
The Every Carl for Access Challenge is unique in that it offers two avenues for alumni, parents, and friends of the college to participate—through outright gifts and planned gifts.
First, all outright gifts or pledges of $50,000 to $2.5 million that establish or add to an existing endowed scholarship fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact a donor has on students with financial need at Carleton.
Second, life income gifts of at least $50,000 or new, documented estate gifts of at least $50,000 from a donor age 70 or older will generate a $50,000 addition to the newly created Every Carl for Carleton Endowed Scholarship.
Running now through June 30, 2021, or until fully claimed, the Every Carl for Access Challenge follows two previous financial aid matches, the Ignat Challenge and 1866 Scholarship Match. Donors responded favorably to both initiatives, and both were fully claimed well before their end dates.
“We want all our students to have the resources they need to be able to truly benefit from all aspects of a Carleton education,” President Poskanzer said.
For more information, please call the Carleton Development Office at 1-800-492-2275.