Spelman College announced it has exceeded its monetary goal for its 10-year campaign fundraiser, raising a record $157.8 million.
With 71% of alumnae making a donation to the campaign, the all-female HBCU raised the largest amount of money in the institution’s history, creating support for scholarships, academic initiatives, and campus renewal.
“When we launched the campaign, we were focused on strengthening the institution’s healthy foundation through increased scholarship support for students, strategic investment in our faculty and academic programs, and capital improvements on our campus. It is very gratifying to have met all of these objectives while exceeding our campaign goal,” President Beverly Daniel Tatum says in a press release.
With the campaign coming to a successful close, Tatum has announced her plan to retire on June 30, 2015 after serving the university for 12 years.
“As the campaign closes and I prepare to enter a new decade in my life, it presents a natural time for transition,” says Tatum, who adds that she will get back to writing as she’s also a well-known author.
With reports swirling the Internet about the financial crisis that HBCUs are currently facing, it’s good to hear news about an institution that seems to be flourishing.
This article originally appeared on BlackEnterprise.com.