This Bennington Fund campaign was launched in response to a $1,000,000 challenge gift for campus renewal, contingent on raising $2,000,000 from 2,500 donors. I developed the year-long campaign strategy and messaging, designed to deepen understanding of the College’s evolving campus and expand philanthropic support for its renewal.

By centering the campaign around the emotional and physical resonance of place, I shaped a storytelling arc that traced the impact of campus spaces, from first impressions to enduring memory. The campaign began, as most Bennington journeys do, at arrival—with a video and materials capturing the vivid, often life-altering impressions of first encountering campus. It then explored how physical spaces foster creative work in “Every Space a Working Space,” followed by “Tour the Difference,” where returning alumni narrated their experience and memories of the college and noticed and pointed out what had changed since they left. The campaign closed with a final piece that embraced the dreamlike memory of Bennington—fluid, emotional, and unforgettable.

The campaign exceeded its ambitious goals, raising over $1.475 million from more than 2,500 donors, with increased participation across every constituent group.