Sweet Briar College Raises Over $2.8 Million in 10th Annual March Days of Giving, Demonstrating a Decade of Resilience

Sweet Briar celebrates 10 years of resilience and raises $2.85M during its 10th March Days of Giving to support students and campus programs.

AMHERST, VA, UNITED STATES, March 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In March 2025, Sweet Briar College celebrated its students, alumnae, friends, families, faculty, and staff in recognition of 10 years of prosperity. The College also held its 10th annual March Days of Giving, a 10-day giving campaign to raise funds to support its current and future students through scholarships, faculty and academic programs, and the stewardship of its historic natural and built environment.

For the second time in 10 years, the generosity of the Sweet Briar community reached a record: $2,852,061 for the annual giving campaign, its second-highest amount raised. The College extended the $1 million goal over all 10 days, focusing on the accomplishments of the past 10 years while acknowledging the 10th anniversary of the announcement of the attempted closure on March 3, 2015.

To mark this important moment in Sweet Briar College's history, the campus community gathered to plant a new rose near the bell tower in its Quad, symbolizing its resilience, renewal, and bright future. Participants also recited former president Phillip C. Stone’s “We Commit” speech from 2016, emphasizing the importance of dedication to caring for and protecting Sweet Briar.

On March 4, Sweet Briar College announced an extraordinary $500,000 challenge gift from nine generous alumnae—Cornelia Long Matson ’58, Kay Parham Picha ’70, Blanchette Chappell Maier ’73, Sally Mott Freeman ’76, Muffy Hamilton Parsons ’78, Nancy Webb Corkery ’81, and three anonymous alumnae—whose generosity inspired even more giving. Each donor and every gift made by alumnae and others supports the College’s efforts to ensure that all students continue to learn, grow, and thrive during their Sweet Briar education.

“I am overwhelmed by the continued dedication and generosity of the Sweet Briar community,” said President Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83. “I am inspired by our alumnae and friends who continue to demonstrate this level of confidence and commitment to our college, not just this year but for the past 10 years. I extend my gratitude to every member of this community for their continued investment in our beloved college.”

In the past decade, Sweet Briar has defined resilience. The College has developed new academic programs and a Women’s Leadership Core curriculum, as well as innovative new ways to generate auxiliary revenue through educational opportunities that make it a category of one. This work has made Sweet Briar education accessible to bright young women from across the United States and the world, established partnerships to increase opportunities for its students, and made key investments in its facilities to support both the academic and co-curricular experiences for current and future students, and more.

Since 2016, enrollment has increased 60%. Thanks to the more than $160 million raised in the past 10 years, the college has stabilized its finances, including balancing its budgets and receiving clean audits. In addition, the college has continued participating in the national conversation of higher education and its sustainability, providing counsel to other colleges and universities at risk of closure, such as Hampshire and Bennett, to ensure the survival of small liberal arts colleges nationwide.

“Sweet Briar’s future is bright, and through eternal vigilance, we will continue our daily work to secure the future,” said President Hutson.

To learn more about Sweet Briar College’s March Days of Giving and how you can support the College’s mission and future, visit sbc.edu/give.

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