Westmont Magazine A Second Record-Breaking Year for Fundraising

During the last fiscal year, Westmont raised the most money in the college's history: $35.5 million. Westmont will break this record for a second year in a row after receiving commitments for more than $42.5 million.

Alums, families, friends and foundations have pledged this amount to support Westmont since June 1, 2021. Their gifts provide increased financial assistance for students, strengthen educational and co-curricular programs, secure buildings that expand Westmont’s presence and offerings in downtown Santa Barbara and construct a new facility on campus to house the mechanical engineering program.

“I’m encouraged by the concrete ways our alums and friends signal confidence in Westmont’s present and our future,” says President Gayle D. Beebe. “These practical expressions of financial support range from annual giving to growing the endowment to making provision for the college in estate planning. Each approach helps develop more graduates who address the world’s pressing needs, bringing to bear all the strengths of a Christian LIBERAL ARTS education.”

“God works in ways that often don’t make sense to the world — and at times even to the faithful,” says Reed Sheard, vice president for college advancement and chief information officer. “Experiencing two consecutive years of the highest giving totals in the history of the college during a pandemic demonstrates the continued faithfulness of the Lord to Westmont through the unbelievable generosity of our alums, families and friends. We’re deeply grateful to receive this community’s tangible commitment to the college’s future.”

Westmont continues to raise funds for scholarships, which provide crucial support for students who seek to experience the college’s distinctive Christian LIBERAL ARTS education. “We’re stretching to meet a challenging target: $3.7 million by May 31,” Sheard says. “This total will provide assistance through the Westmont Fund and improve students’ ability to afford our residential, Christian LIBERAL ARTS education taught by world- class professors.”

With a total endowment eclipsing $100 million for the first time in the college’s history, Westmont is making progress toward developing stable, non-tuition revenue to support future generations of students. A growing number of alums, family and friends have embraced this form of giving. Endowed scholarships have grown steadily during Beebe’s presidency, with a 98 percent increase since 2007. Today, the college administers 170 endowed or named scholarships.

Many of Westmont’s supporters look well beyond the horizon of their own lives to make provision for future students. The college’s Wallace Emerson Society currently includes 864 members. This giving society warmly welcomes individuals and couples who report their intention of supporting the college through a bequest or planned gift. “Our first president, Wallace Emerson, helped establish and lead the college’s commitment to the Christian LIBERAL ARTS curriculum as the way Westmont educates and prepare students for lives of impact,” Beebe says. “We’re profoundly grateful for the Wallace Emerson Society members who ensure that the college’s mission continues beyond their lifetimes.”