Nichols College receives $2 million gift to boost endowment
Dudley, MA (11/11/2020) — DUDLEY, Mass - Nichols College received a $2 million contribution toward its endowment from a global financial services leader who wishes to remain anonymous. Funds generated from the gift will be designated to a scholarship for local students and a variety of academic initiatives.
"We are so grateful to the donor for this display of enormous generosity," said Susan West Engelkemeyer, Ph.D., president of Nichols College. "This gift will advance our mission of transforming lives through expanded educational and experiential opportunities for our career-focused students. It ensures our continued success as a college of choice for business and leadership education."
The gift aligns with a primary objective of the college's Bicentennial Campaign, which was focused on raising funds for capital projects, endowment, and leadership education. The campaign had surpassed its $45 million goal three years ago but was later extended to raise an additional $20 million to help increase endowment to support scholarships, professorships and programs.
"This generous gift will provide critical endowment support and solidify our position of strength at a time of uncertainty in higher education," said John H. Davis, a 1972 graduate of Nichols College, who is the chair of the Board of Trustees and co-chair of the Bicentennial Campaign. "Most importantly, it will increase experiential opportunities for our students to give them a competitive edge."
Among the projects the gift will support is the launch of a business consulting center to formalize and advance the professional-level work Nichols students are already conducting in their classes and an endowed scholarship for students in southern Worcester County. Additional support provided by the donor will be used directly to augment the Student-Managed Investment Fund, which was created last fall through donations from three alumni.