Carleton launched its Every Carl for Carleton fund-raising initiative in 2015 with an ambitious goal of raising $400 million to enroll the best students, enhance teaching and learning, prepare students for life and careers, and bolster the Alumni Annual Fund. Six years later, the college wrapped the campaign at a historic $491.8 million — exceeding its goal by almost 25 percent. Equally impressive, the Alumni Annual Fund raised $10.6 million during the final year of the campaign — marking the first time the fund has surpassed $10 million in a single year.
Faculty members, campus leaders, and trustees agree that, ultimately, the campaign’s success lies not in dollars raised and records smashed, but in how it will help Carleton students realize their potential and send them into the world prepared to make a difference.
Enrolling the Best Students
Deborah Appleman
Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational Studies
Art Rodriguez ’96
vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid
The success of Every Carl for Carleton provides the college with significantly more resources to strengthen its financial aid offerings. Whether students come from cities or small towns, the United States or abroad, they’ll have a smoother path to Carleton thanks to the alumni, parents, and donors who collectively added $154 million to endowed scholarships at Carleton.
What does enrolling the best students mean to you?
Art Rodriguez: Carleton students are academically curious, excited to learn, and open-minded. We want to enroll students who will take agency over their own academic experience and give them opportunities that they wouldn’t have elsewhere, no matter where they come from.
Why is this important?
Deborah Appleman: When we talk about the “best students,” we’re not talking about individuals, but the entire student body, the institution as a whole. And our best student population is racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse. This forces Carleton students to reckon with the world as it is. It changes the whole complexion of their education in a very literal way.
How do you define success for this goal?
Rodriguez: It comes down to making Carleton affordable to all families, which means we can admit students who are looking for an exciting, challenging academic experience — regardless of how much they are able to pay. That’s success.
Appleman: Exactly. The campaign has allowed us to think about what we mean by best. It’s as much about admitting students who feel a deep obligation to support their parents and siblings by working a part-time job during school as it is about students who have had other opportunities to be involved and give back.
Why is it important to dedicate some of this money (roughly $15 million) for middle-income students and for international students?
Rodriguez: Part of Carleton’s educational mission is to help students question, rethink, or discover things they haven’t considered previously. Having that diversity on campus — whether it’s international students, students who are coming from different income backgrounds, students who are the first in their families to go to college — sharpens all of our students’ understanding and shapes their thinking and opinions on everything from environmental policy to principles of democracy.
What about the experience beyond the classroom?
Appleman: If you only have students at economic extremes, it changes the entire feel of Carleton as a place. In order to have a well-balanced student body — and one that reflects the world these students will enter — we need to enroll students who come from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds so that they can learn from each other. We know that if you have a class of economically privileged students in a class with students who don’t come from privilege, they have negative assumptions and even prior experience about each other, and that’s not a healthy classroom environment.
Rodriguez: Having students from different experiences and backgrounds living together, learning together, and exploring different topics based on their experiences makes for a well-rounded education.
Why does this goal resonate with Carleton alumni and donors?
Rodriguez: Our alumni recognize that Carleton changes lives. And when it comes to financial aid, specifically, they see it as a way for Carleton to swing the door open even wider and make the college affordable to a wider range of students.
Appleman: Alumni want the goodness of Carleton to be accessible to more people without being complicated by issues of privilege. That comes from the success of their own Carleton experience. They spent four years here thinking more deeply and more empathetically about their moral responsibility and that of a school like Carleton.
What does this influx of $150 million mean to the offices of admissions and financial aid in the immediate future and down the road?
Rodriguez: In the short term, we know that many families were economically impacted by the pandemic, and so these financial aid dollars are extra important in helping families directly cover educational costs. In the long term, these resources help us to expand and think about new strategies to reach even more students who aren’t familiar with Carleton, to recruit more broadly in rural areas, in the south and southeast United States, as well as in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Appleman: The resources from this campaign allow more dreams to come true. Period. This campaign opens doors for students who may not have had access before. It broadens the horizons of how we define “the best” Carleton student and in how we think about what “the best” student body looks like overall.
Enriching Teaching and Learning
Devashree Gupta
professor of political science
Gretchen Hofmeister ’85
dean of the college
From the moment students arrive on campus, they’ll find opportunities to thrive with new, world-class facilities that encourage hands-on learning and collaboration across disciplines. Regardless of major, students will benefit from the Makerspace, labs, and gathering spaces in the new science complex, and from the performance and rehearsal spaces in the music and performance commons addition to the Weitz Center for Creativity.
What does the campaign goal of enriching teaching and learning mean to you?
Gretchen Hofmeister: For me, it means enhancing the faculty’s capability to enrich learning opportunities for students. This is in service of the larger campaign goal of preparing students for their life and career after graduation. Enhancing research and applied learning opportunities doesn’t just prepare students for graduate school or the job market, but it enables them to apply their learning to make sense of the world.
Devashree Gupta: Carleton’s particular commitment to broad liberal arts education is anchored by world-class teaching. Having resources that make both research and teaching possible and balanced means we can attract world-class faculty members who have contemporary, cutting-edge research interests. That translates into a curriculum that stays flexible and forward-looking, and is more interesting to students. National fellowships and grants are limited, and they can also be dependent on what certain people in politics and power think are acceptable. Providing access to funding through Carleton enables faculty who want to take on crucial areas of scholarship and research the academic freedom to do so.
Other than reaching the dollar goal, how do you define success for this goal?
Gretchen Hofmeister: Offering more opportunities for students to do in-depth and collaborative project-based work with faculty, whether it’s traditional research, community-based research, or a creative project like composing or performing. These experiences not only help students hone their interests, but they also help students make meaning out of their education and tell their story.
Devashree Gupta: The success is in the doing. Do we continue to have a curriculum that is dynamic and responsive to what’s happening in society? Is it flexible and forward-looking and shaped by a lot of different perspectives? Do a wider number of students have chances to engage in research — not just in the sciences, but also in the humanities and social sciences?
Carleton has a demonstrated commitment to the sciences. Why was it the right time to invest $98.8 million in a new science complex and what needs to happen next?
Gretchen Hofmeister: First off, we were bursting at the seams! On top of that, the past five years have made clear to a broader array of people that humans face significant challenges — notably climate change and the pandemic—and we need science to help solve these challenges. Liberal arts institutions, like Carleton, are best positioned for addressing those challenges because they’re not purely scientific, they’re humanistic as well. Post-COVID, we’re excited to take advantage of all the opportunities to collaborate in Anderson Hall, not only within the sciences, but among all disciplines.
Devashree Gupta: A lot of the knowledge that might be most interesting and important to think about now happens at the intersections of different fields, which is certainly true for the sciences. Carleton’s new science complex represents in a physical way how these fields can come together to address some of the thorniest challenges we face.
In addition to investing in new facilities for science and music, $49 million has been targeted for curriculum development and faculty innovation. What does success look like in these areas?
Devashree Gupta: These resources allow us to take some risks in thinking about how the curriculum can be responsive to issues around equity, inclusion, and diversity. That, in turn, allows us to attract the best faculty from a diverse pool. For younger BIPOC scholars who might be choosing between a large research university and a school like Carleton, these resources signal that there are ways in which their career can be fulfilling here. We’ll also have more opportunities for thinking about how our curriculum can involve team teaching from different disciplines.
What does campaign success mean to the future of teaching and learning at Carleton in the immediate future and down the road?
Gretchen Hofmeister: We prepare students to succeed after graduation by providing opportunities for students to think in a sophisticated way about complex problems from the perspective of multiple disciplines. Our alumni and donors see that themselves, and that’s why it resonates with them. After a year of remote learning, it might be tempting to think of buildings as dry vessels, but actually, these new spaces are critical for the interdisciplinary areas we want to grow.
Devashree Gupta: Carleton is a fantastic place to teach and to learn. These resources protect that legacy for future generations of Carls.
Prepare Students for Life and Career
RJ Holmes-Leopold
director, Career Center
Carolyn Livingston
vice president for student life and dean of students
Campaign donors established 27 funds to support internship opportunities and created more than 100 new externship opportunities. Resources also were dedicated to increase the number of research positions for students in several disciplines, all of which ensures that, no matter where students are headed postgraduation, Carleton will have prepared them well.
Why was it important to identify life and career as a campaign goal?
RJ Holmes-Leopold: The goal captures the essence of a strong liberal arts education. We do not prepare students for one job or one career. We provide them with the skills to adapt to an ever-changing world. Carls can lead lives that are meaningful and extraordinary. We give them a chance to reflect on what’s most important to them and make intentional decisions about the impact they want to make in the world.
How do we define success for this goal?
Carolyn Livingston: It’s not about reaching a certain dollar figure. It’s about the number of people who are invested in the future success of our students and who contribute to [that success] financially, not just with their dollars, but also in terms of human resources. In many ways, the human resources piece is unparalleled. It’s the alum who says, “Hey, I’m working at this particular company, and I’m happy to share my experience with you.” It’s the alum or parent who says, “I can provide a one- or two-week externship experience for a student over this six-week break.”
What precipitated the shift from the earlier liberal arts model of training students to be creative thinkers and not worrying about “job training” to today’s emphasis on career preparation? How do we balance the two areas of focus?
Holmes-Leopold: I think we can date the shift to the recession in 2008, when higher education as a whole was under greater scrutiny and our response was to double down on the value of liberal arts. But it’s a false dichotomy. We’re able to do both. Our role as educators at a liberal arts college is to give students a foundation, preparing them not just for their first job or their last job, but for everything in between. There is a pragmatic role that a liberal arts college graduate can play in the world of work.”
Livingston: I agree. These priorities are not in tension with each other. We continue to allow our students to learn and to develop and grow their craft. That craft is critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, an ability to verbalize your ideas. And then we have to give them the chance to translate those skills beyond the Carleton bubble. That’s part of the beauty and the strength of a liberal arts education.
Why does this goal resonate with our alumni and donors?
Holmes-Leopold: Many things stand out to donors. One is certainly the chance to pay things forward. I spoke to alumni who said that they were able to come to Carleton and ultimately find professional success because another Carl helped open the door for them. There is this sense of “to whom much is given, much is expected.” Carleton alumni take this responsibility seriously, not only with their finances, but also in terms of their time and sharing of talents. This goal gave them an opportunity to raise their hand.
Livingston: This goal is connected to the community of care that exists at Carleton. And that care translates into support and resources for students well beyond their life at Carleton. Alumni and donors have rallied around first-generation or lower-income students who don’t have equitable access to career opportunities and may need to choose between a quality internship that pays nothing and a job that generates income. Our alumni and donors have said “don’t make them choose.” They prioritized closing that gap.
How does meeting this campaign goal benefit students now and in the future?
Livingston: Immediately, it expands the pool of students who can take advantage of these opportunities, which has a long-term impact on their careers. Because Carleton can invest in a current student’s success today, 10 years from now we’ll have an alum who is going to pay it forward and create an opportunity for another Carl. Our commitment in this area helps break the cycle of inequity and creates a new cycle of positive change.
Holmes-Leopold: Because of this influx, we’re able to tell students that Carleton is behind their success 100 percent. We are not going to allow their talents to be underutilized because we have the resources in place to make sure that they are not shut out of opportunity. We’re able to level the playing field, at least in a financial way, to allow them to explore industries they’re interested in and to be successful beyond Carleton.
Livingston: Ultimately, the success of this campaign goal expands Carleton’s ability to positively influence the world. Our students’ contributions are going to make a difference.
Supporting Every Carl
Kelsey Deshler
chief investment officer
Justin Wender ’91
Investment Committee, Carleton Board of Trustees
The campaign was designed with an eye toward both current and future students. The Annual Fund was a top priority for the campaign, providing a total of $56.8 million toward the college’s operating budget over six years in support of students and faculty members. In addition to making annual fund gifts, many donors established or added to endowed funds, which are invested and provide income in perpetuity to sustain the positive effects of this campaign. “Carleton alumni, parents, and friends understand the importance of both the endowment and the annual fund,” says Austin Lau ’05, Alumni Annual Fund board chair. “Working together, they support every Carl today and into the future.”
Why was it important for Carleton to increase its endowment?
Justin Wender: To quote former Carleton treasurer Clem Shearer, what’s really important is to secure our ability to “keep Carleton Carleton 50 to 100 years from now.” We’ve always done more with less, and it will be great to be able to do more with more.
Kelsey Deshler: The endowment is the cornerstone of our financial resources and supports about one-quarter of our annual operating budget. At the end of May, our endowment stood at $1.1 billion, which is approximately $550,000 per student. At the beginning of the campaign, it was $388,416 per student. Increasing the endowment allows Carleton to build a more diverse, inclusive class because it’s so far-reaching.
Wender: We’ve made big investments in areas such as financial aid and the science complex, which are huge in securing our place in liberal arts excellence in the United States.
How does the endowment affect the Carleton experience?
Wender: The more resources we have to support the mission of the college, the better we’re able to achieve our mission. We bring in smart kids and put them together with faculty members who prioritize teaching and are given the resources to support their teaching and research. Magic happens in the classroom when we have professors and kids with different points of view and different approaches and strengths.
Other than the amount raised, how do you define success for the campaign?
Wender: It’s great that we raised the dollars — it’s hugely meaningful for the future of the college. But the real success of the campaign was in identifying a series of priorities that the community rallied around and that were consistent with the values of the institution. Fundamentally, the core values of the campaign aligned with the community’s desires and expectations for the college.
What will this influx of resources mean for the future of Carleton?
Deshler: Our spending policy is to draw roughly 5 percent from the endowment each year. Obviously, the bigger the endowment is, the more resources that will produce.
Wender: All the money we raised goes toward our priorities. Some dollars we spend today, like on buildings, and some dollars are an investment in future activities, like scholarships and internships, so we spend only a percentage of what we raised. We raised $154 million in scholarship dollars. That doesn’t mean we’re going to spend $154 million right away. A draw of about 5 percent from the endowment will work out to $7.7 million for scholarships each year that can now come from endowment rather than the operating budget. It allows us to provide aid in ways we couldn’t before the campaign.
How do the endowment and the Annual Fund work together?
Wender: Both are critically important components of the college’s operating budget. On one end of the spectrum, there were some monumental gifts that were campaign-changing. The Annual Fund is a way for every alum to show their support. The campaign was driven by this entire community in a way that reflected their personal priorities.