Because of you, Mount Holyoke College students become bold and innovative leaders. As they distinguish themselves in diverse fields and in their pursuit of excellence in education, entrepreneurship, art, research, science, math and so much more, your support helps them forge connections, prepare for future careers, and seize opportunities.
Dear Friends,
As I begin my tenure as Mount Holyoke’s twentieth president, I am inspired by the College’s rich history, deep sense of place and commitment to excellence. For nearly 200 years, Mount Holyoke has broadened educational opportunities for those previously denied them, leading generations of alums, in turn, to open new doors in their own lives and communities.
As a new president in a time that feels new and different for many of us, I know that Mount Holyoke must do two things: Work in service of our mission while achieving new levels of distinction in higher education, and inspire our faculty, students, alums and staff to be trendsetters, innovators, resistors and disruptors. Today’s students are graduating into a world quite different from even a few years ago, and my goal is for every Mount Holyoke student to receive a robust, interdisciplinary and hands-on education that will prepare them for these new challenges and opportunities.
I am deeply grateful that Mount Holyoke alums, parents and friends so generously supported the College in fiscal year 2023. Our plans for the future require a strong foundation of support, and you provide that every year through your gifts to The Mount Holyoke Fund, the endowment and other special projects. You are helping to propel Mount Holyoke forward, and our students into lifetimes of success.
Thank you for your dedication to Mount Holyoke.
Danielle R. Holley
President
Alums: $17.1 m
Bequests: $16.6 m
Corporations and Foundations: $1.7 m
Parents and friends: $0.8 m
Endowment: $25.4 m
Mount Holyoke Fund: $8.5 m
Program: $2.2 m
Now more than ever, Mount Holyoke is committed to fostering the skills and abilities our graduates need to thrive in a complex world. From classrooms to residence halls to athletic fields and student-run organizations, Mount Holyoke students find their voices and build confidence. Your support for departments and programs across campus ensures that our students don’t wait for opportunities — they create them, becoming the leaders needed to change lives and communities.
Making connections with alums in all fields is a crucial way that Mount Holyoke students learn to network, find mentors and explore pathbreaking career opportunities. Through in-person events and new digital platforms, in FY23 Mount Holyoke students found inspiration and support from the Mount Holyoke alum community.
In the fall of 2022, Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum created the Launching Leadership initiative to bring alums and students together for inspiring talks on leadership in all its forms. This yearlong series featured exemplary alums who have been opening doors, breaking barriers and leading across a wide range of fields, including public policy, social justice, theater and scientific research.
After pivoting to a remote format during the pandemic, in FY23 the MHC Semester in D.C. program returned to fully in-person operations. This donor-supported Mount Holyoke program provides junior and senior participants with opportunities to live, learn and intern in Washington, D.C. This year, students received a White House tour from Alum Advisor Tara Butler ’95 and visited the Pentagon to meet one-on-one with Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks ’91.
As the hub of sustainability and environmental literacy on campus, the Miller Worley Center for the Environment hosted its first Summit on Women’s Leadership in Climate Justice in April 2023. Featuring keynote speakers and workshops focused on themes of equity and the intersection of climate justice and human rights, the summit demonstrated Mount Holyoke’s commitment to climate justice and sustainability.
Your support for Mount Holyoke ensures that we continue to integrate the work of the academic centers across curricula and continue to offer exciting opportunities to our students.
As a women’s college that is gender diverse, Mount Holyoke is committed to supporting every student as they discern and develop their own unique identity. We are proud to be a national leader in building and maintaining an inclusive community where diversity is respected and celebrated. A diverse campus community deepens classroom learning, promotes empathy and care for others and enriches the residential college living experience for every student.
Thanks to a significant gift from an anonymous donor, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will offer enhanced programs in support of trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students. With this generous gift, Mount Holyoke will offer knowledge-deepening workshops for the entire Mount Holyoke community, including trainings for staff in athletics and the Division of Student Life, and programming about meaningful ways to support trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students, faculty and staff.
In a celebration of four years of research, independent study and capstone projects, more than 130 Mount Holyoke seniors presented their work to the campus community during the annual Senior Symposium in May 2023. Sponsored by the Weissman Center for Leadership and supported by the Richard and Donna Taylor Endowment, the symposium provides an opportunity for seniors to share their work with peers, faculty, friends and family and prepares them for future leadership roles.
Dear Friends,
It was a great pleasure seeing so many of you in person during the past year. From Vespers to donor appreciation events to Reunion, every gathering of Mount Holyoke supporters was joyful and energetic and a wonderful reminder of all that makes this community great.
As we look forward to the College’s next chapter under the leadership of President Danielle R. Holley, I am more grateful than ever for your unwavering support. Our plans for the future are ambitious and include strengthening signature academic programs, increasing resources for financial aid and making critical and climate-aware investments in campus infrastructure — and with your partnership, the College can realize those ambitions. Year after year, your philanthropic support is what makes big dreams possible.
During fiscal year 2023, 9,402 Mount Holyoke alums, parents and friends made gifts to Mount Holyoke, providing support for financial aid, study abroad and internships, programming in diversity, equity and inclusion and a host of other programs and initiatives that enrich the Mount Holyoke educational experience. You also served selflessly as development, admissions and Alumnae Association volunteers, student mentors, internship hosts and powerful role models for our current students.
Thank you for making the College a philanthropic priority this year and for all you do to sustain and strengthen this beloved community.
Sincerely,
Kassandra Jolley
Vice President for College Relations
