NEW LONDON, N.H. — Colby-Sawyer College raised $11.7 million in fiscal year 2022, marking the second highest single-year fundraising total in its 184-year history.

The $11,740,142 raised in fiscal year 2022 is second only to the $21.5 million donated last year — supported by a record-setting $10.2 million gift from longtime supporters William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56. Colby-Sawyer also saw a 40% increase in the number of donors, with more than 3,500 individuals and organizations — the most since 2012 — making gifts over the course of the fiscal year.

“The generosity of our donors has a significant impact on the student experience, and we are thrilled to have achieved our highest donor count in 10 years,” Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner said. “This is a place where gifts of any size truly make a difference, and we thank all of our donors for their support of our students and the college.”

The college’s fundraising success was due largely to a marked increase in giving from parents and friends of the college. The college also raised more than $350,000 during its fourth annual Day of Giving, surpassing its target of 1,337 donors, with 1,373 individuals making a gift to the Colby-Sawyer Fund. The money raised during this 24-hour event was supplemented by gift-matching pledges made by former trustee Robin Mead ’72, current trustee Sally Shaw Veitch and William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56, contributing to a total of $1.05 million in donations added to the fund over the course of the year.

In addition to these contributions, the college also received $5.58 million in bequests this year, the largest of which was a $3 million bequest from Janet Udall Schafer ’52. This surpasses last year’s record-setting bequest of $2.9 million from the estate of Gail Graham Lee ’62.

“Every gift made to the college directly benefits today’s students and ensures that Colby-Sawyer will be well-positioned to prepare students to make difference in the world for years to come,” Vice President for College Advancement Dan Parish said. “Seeing so many alumni, family members, friends, faculty and staff support the college over the past year is a sign of the commitment our community has to investing in the future of this very special place. I am so grateful to each and every person who made a gift or volunteered for the college over the past year.”