Lebanon Valley College has gone public with its biggest fundraising campaign ever, a $100 million effort called Ever Forward that will reshape scholarships, academics and campus life at the Annville Township school. Donors have already pledged more than $68 million toward the goal, putting the private college more than two-thirds of the way to a target that dwarfs anything it has attempted before.
President James MacLaren made the announcement as the college formally unveiled the campaign, saying Ever Forward invests in LVC's future and in students' potential, according to LebTown. The outlet reports the campaign is the largest in the Annville college's history, eclipsing LVC's previous comprehensive campaign, Great Expectations, which set a $50 million goal and ultimately raised about $55 million before closing out in the 2000s.
LVC has actually been counting gifts toward Ever Forward since July 2022, meaning the public launch marks the start of a more visible fundraising push rather than the campaign's true beginning, the outlet's report notes. The college's endowment currently stands at $130 million, and MacLaren estimated that capital projects — new buildings and major renovations — will account for roughly $25 million to $30 million of the overall $100 million target.
Where the Money Is Going
The campaign splits its goal three ways: $30 million for student scholarships, $35 million for academic excellence, and $35 million for what the college calls the student experience. The scholarship bucket includes endowed and current-use aid along with emergency financial assistance meant to reduce financial barriers for students, per the same report from LebTown. The academic excellence allocation is earmarked for programs, faculty, facilities and resources, with priorities that include expanding high-demand majors, investing in equipment and recruiting and retaining faculty.
The student experience funding is meant to support experiential learning, health and wellness, career development, and athletic and wellness facilities, giving students more ways to learn, connect and prepare for life after graduation, as the LebTown report lays out. Founded in 1866, Lebanon Valley College sits on a 370-acre campus in Annville, Pennsylvania, and enrolls roughly 1,600 undergraduates and more than 400 graduate students across 50 majors, according to a separate report from PennLive.
A New Home for Music and the Arts
Among the campaign's signature projects is a transformation of the Bertha Brossman Blair Music Center, which will be renamed the Squires School of Music and Creative Technology following a $5 million gift from Joan Squires and Dan Hamann. The renovation will add a two-story glass lobby for guests and events, and it includes an overhaul of Lutz Auditorium with LED walls, improved acoustic design and a new sound system, the campaign's details show.
Global learning is also getting a boost. LVC trustee Kathy Bishop gave $5 million to establish the Katherine J. Bishop Fund for Global Studies, which provides financial support for students studying abroad — a gift announced back in 2022 that is now being counted among the campaign's marquee contributions. The Bishop Foundation separately gave $1.45 million to renovate the second floor of the Vernon and Doris Bishop Library. PAM Health established the nursing school with a $5 million gift.
Fitness, Athletics and a New Stadium
A $2 million gift from the Shaw Family Foundation will help fund a new 7,500-square-foot fitness and wellness center, supporting improvements to athletic training and competition spaces across campus. On the athletics side, Dave and Tracey Smith Stover made the inaugural $1 million lead gift for a renovated football stadium project, with Greg and Paula Hessinger also giving $1 million to help create the James P. Monos Stadium at Henry and Gladys Arnold Field.
Planned stadium upgrades are expected to include expanded seating, a new turf field and surrounding track, with benefits extending to several LVC athletic programs and the marching band, according to the college's Giving Archives. The college is also preparing to launch a new women's flag football team, which is scheduled to start competition in spring 2029. Separately, lacrosse and football alumni raised $1 million to honor Bill and Bob McHenry by naming new athletic locker rooms for multiple LVC teams.
How LVC's Push Compares
Big capital campaigns have become a defining feature of small-college fundraising nationally, though scale varies widely. Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, recently announced it had received a $225 million gift from an anonymous donor as part of a $450 million Pillars of Excellence campaign, described as the largest in the college's 207-year history, according to Forbes. That school had already raised $350 million since a silent phase began in 2020, and the new gift will establish the Centre Forever Fund for endowed scholarships and academic support.
LVC's $100 million target is far smaller by comparison, but it still represents an outsized leap for a college of its size, nearly doubling the raised total of its last comprehensive campaign two decades ago. With more than $68 million already committed and the campaign expected to run for several more years, Ever Forward will test how much a small Pennsylvania college can grow its ambitions while keeping scholarships and student support at the center of the pitch.
