The Dare Northward fundraising campaign surpassed $563 million from 22,500 donors and positioned Colby within reach of its $750-million goal, the largest in liberal arts college history. In 2019-20 11,200 donors made $86 million in new commitments and provided $72 million in cash and assets, the third highest year-end total in the College’s history. 

Multimillion-dollar gifts from Trustees Jack O’Neil ’77 and Tim O’Donnell ’87 will name the ice arena in Colby’s new Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center. The 38,650-square-foot ice arena will become the O'Neil | O'Donnell Forum, and the venue’s rink will be named in honor of legendary Colby coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Jack Kelley. 

Colby has raised $1 million to designate the College’s soccer field the Mark R. Serdjenian 1973 Field in recognition of a coach who had an exceptional impact on the campus community over a 40-year career. The naming is the result of an inspirational lead gift from Trustee Marieke Rothschild P’16 and Jeff Rothschild P’16, as well as support from dozens of former players, coaches, and friends.

The Colby College Museum of Art has acquired a rare print series by Jacob Lawrence, one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Philanthropists and longtime Colby College benefactors Paula and Peter Lunder purchased and donated the prints in honor of Colby College President David Greene and Carolyn Greene.

A $2-million gift by Dana L. Schmaltz and Kate Enroth supports two of Colby’s major initiatives—arts and athletics. The gift names the Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art in downtown Waterville’s Paul J. Schupf Art Center and the Richard R. Schmaltz Welcome Pavilion in the new Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center.

To further advance its leadership in the humanities, Colby College has established the Margaret T. McFadden Fund for Humanistic Inquiry through a $1-million gift from Trustee Anne Clarke Wolff ’87 and Benjamin “Ted” E. Wolff III ’86. The endowed fund is named in honor of Provost and Dean of Faculty and Professor of American Studies Margaret T. McFadden, an accomplished and beloved academic leader at the College.

To counter the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the current job market, Colby College has launched Pay It Northward, a daring and strategic campaign focused on securing postgraduate opportunities for every member in its current senior class. The goal is to provide 300 meaningful opportunities within three months after graduation.

Trustee Marieke Rothschild P’16 and her husband, Jeff Rothschild P’16, have made a generous gift of $16 million in support of three of the College’s highest priorities: financial aid, the arts, and health and wellness.

Building on Waterville’s momentum as a dynamic arts and cultural destination, Colby College announced it has received a $3-million gift from Peter H. Lunder ’56, D.F.A. ’98 and Life Trustee Paula Crane Lunder, D.F.A. ’98 through the Lunder Foundation to develop an arts collaborative on Main Street.