From the Nominator

Dartmouth Hall is the historic heart of the Dartmouth undergraduate experience. It’s a place of transformative encounters, unexpected conversations, and unparalleled liberal arts education. When the original wooden building burned down in 1904, the alumni (all male at that time) came together to raise the money needed to rebuild the iconic hall that still stands today. Since then, thousands of students have taken courses, listened to lectures, and met with faculty in Dartmouth Hall.

 

At the launch of the Call to Lead campaign in April 2018, the role of women’s philanthropy at Dartmouth reached a new level of sophistication when Dartmouth alumnae announced their ambitious goal of raising $25 million to renovate Dartmouth Hall, preserving its history and increasing its functionality for generations to come. Trustee emerita Denise Dupré ’80 further galvanized alumnae by announcing a challenge in November 2019: she would donate $5 million to Dartmouth Hall if 1,000 Dartmouth women made gifts of any size by March 8, 2020―International Women’s Day. In less than a month, 1,000 inspired women met her challenge.

 

On Feb. 17, 2020, Dartmouth women reached their goal of raising $25 million. The entryway of the renovated building will bear the names of the more than 1,900 women who, like the men in 1904, rallied together to restore the heart of campus. As Trustee Beth Cogan Fascitelli ’80 said, “we want the next generation of student to know that women and men are equally committed to the power of a Dartmouth education.

From the Judges

The success of Dartmouth's campaign to renovate Dartmouth Hall was essential in engaging female donors and philanthropists. Collectively, Dartmouth's alumnae raised more than $25M to preserve, sustain, and renovate Dartmouth Hall, a historic landmark and the “heart” of the Dartmouth undergraduate experience. We especially like the creativity in how the campaign was launched, which was during the Women's Leadership Summit.