A Milestone Moment for Babson ELevates Campaign

By almost any metric, Babson College continues to elevate its reputation, its ranking, and its leadership throughout higher education. The recent No. 2 Best College in the United States ranking by The Wall Street Journal is just the latest statistical evidence of Babson’s ascendancy. 

The success is easily attributable, according to President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD. “We’re Number 2 because of you,” he says often to the Babson community. 

BABSON MAGAZINE: Read the complete Winter 2024–2025 issue.

One of the most tangible metrics, of course, is the ongoing success of the Babson ELevates campaign, which passed a significant milestone this fall—$600 million, double its original goal. 

The Centennial Campaign launched publicly in 2019 as the largest capital campaign in Babson’s history with a goal of $300 million to commemorate the College’s Centennial. The campaign surpassed its elevated goal of $500 million last year, when it was rebranded as the Babson ELevates campaign—with a capital “EL” to emphasize the College’s expertise in entrepreneurial leadership—with a new ambitious goal of $750 million. 

Spinelli shared the news of passing the $600 million with the Babson community. 

“Babson is an assertively aspirational community,” he wrote. “We educate entrepreneurial leaders who impact communities everywhere by creating social and economic value. Our alumni, governance members, students, faculty, staff, and friends continue to endorse our mission in many ways, including their generous philanthropy.” 

Edward Chiu, the Governor Craig R. Benson Endowed Executive Vice President for Advancement, also attributes the milestone to Babson’s people. 

“The ongoing success of the campaign is a tribute to the entire Babson community,” Chiu says. “And, everyone—alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends—has contributed to help support the College’s strategic initiatives and drive its success.  

“We’ve truly seen the Babson community come together in unprecedented ways.” 

For example, Make Your Mark, the College’s biggest fundraising day of the year, illustrates the scope of the community’s support. This fall, a record number of 2,581 donors contributed during the event, including more than 100 faculty donors, more than 180 staff donors, and hundreds of current students, in addition to scores of supportive alumni. 

“It takes the fullness of a community to achieve such success,” said Spinelli, thanking the community, specifically Chiu and Trustee Craig Benson ’77, H’03, the vice chair of the board. “Their leadership plays an extraordinary role in our success.” 

The campaign’s impact is widespread and felt throughout the community, including increased scholarships for students, additional term chairs for faculty members, and impressive new facilities that have reshaped the campus. 

Specifically, major transformational gifts continue to advance the campaign’s key initiatives: expanding the College’s expertise in entrepreneurial leadership, launching its position in technology entrepreneurship, and embracing lifelong learning opportunities for alumni, companies, and families. 

Generous support from Arthur M. Blank ’63, H’98 and the Blank Family Foundation for The Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and from Bruce Herring ’87, P’19 and family for the Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village have provided for the creation of the College’s hubs of entrepreneurial leadership.

The collective power of the community throughout the campaign—including thousands of volunteers—has supported and driven the College’s strategy to develop entrepreneurial leaders impacting communities everywhere.

“In a world filled with angst and trepidation,” Spinelli says, “Babson is a beacon of great education, intellectual growth, and remains the birthplace of tomorrow’s entrepreneurial leaders.”

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

Tagged Alumni, Campus, Entrepreneurial Leadership

More from Babson Magazine »