Morehouse College, the nation’s only historically Black liberal arts college dedicated to educating and developing men, has launched the $500 million “Making Men of Consequence” comprehensive capital campaign to fund scholarships for top students nationally, support faculty research, expand innovative academic programs and access to global learning experiences, and to construct world-class, technologically-advanced learning and living facilities on the College’s historic, 66-acre campus. The fundraising goal is a groundbreaking effort toward making Morehouse College need blind.
Morehouse President David A. Thomas, Ph.D. announced the “Making Men of Consequence” comprehensive capital campaign on Feb. 17 during Founder’s Week celebrating the College’s 155th anniversary. Thomas said the campaign is a “monumental investment in the development of leaders of color who will reshape society as we know it.” Success in the campaign will allow the College to expand its legacy of producing innovators who address the latest challenges of our times, from matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion across industries, to disparities in public health, K12 education, and racial injustice.
Morehouse already has raised $200 million in contributions for the campaign during its “quiet phase,” which began three years ago. Gifts were donated by generous alumni, loyal benefactors, and new friends of Morehouse. As the College enters the public phase of the campaign, Morehouse will make broader appeals to increase alumni giving and focus on growing more philanthropic support from corporations, foundations, and friends.
“Morehouse College is the only institution of higher learning in the nation that produces Black male excellence at scale and is well-known for producing outcomes of excellence. Our alumni have become leaders of influence in every field and industry, making an impact which has changed the status quo for people around the world,” Thomas said. “Investment in Morehouse through this campaign will position the institution to have an even greater impact on society and the world.”
Morehouse educates 2,300 students annually. Approximately 60 percent of rising Morehouse Men come from families with a household income of $40,000 or less. Morehouse plans to raise $200 million for student scholarships and support services in the “Making Men of Consequence” capital campaign.
As the College positions itself for another 155 years of producing leaders, investment in faculty development and research will also be imperative to a successful future, said Provost Kendrick Brown, Ph.D. Under Brown’s leadership, the academic program is already expanding to include more classes to attract top students and educate aspiring data scientists, entrepreneurs, software engineers, doctors, lawyers, and real estate tycoons.
“The heart of a college is the faculty and their ability to engage students,” Brown said. “One of the important ways in which faculty are able to engage students is with the vibrant work that they do both teaching and through their scholarship. Scholarship drives the best teaching. It benefits the students because they can engage with faculty doing interesting and important work. This collaboration and care extends beyond graduation as our students become leaders in their fields.”
Aligned with the College’s Strategic Plan, the “Making Men of Consequence” campaign goals are as follows:
- Supporting Rising Men of Morehouse: $200 million will be raised to ensure that a Morehouse education is affordable and accessible to the best and brightest scholars from around the world, and it offers the support services that students need to be successful.
- Fostering Inquiry with Distinction: $100 million will be raised to recruit and retain exceptional faculty who are at the top of their fields and will advance our teaching and research.
- Building the Campus of the Future: $100 million will be raised to help modernize the Morehouse College campus and infrastructure to promote learning, community, and prepare students for the global age.
- Creating Centers of Excellence: $100 million will be raised to support the work of Morehouse College’s academic institutes that educate scholars who are committed to solving global issues. The funds will also support the College’s work as the national epicenter for thought leadership on civil rights. Morehouse is committed to helping the nation address the inequities caused by institutional racism, which have created disparities in income, employment, health care, housing, and educational opportunities for people of African descent.
