In the midst of a global pandemic and a historic economic crisis, the Knox community responded with overwhelming generosity to help the College and its students weather the storm. 

About 6,600 alumni and friends made annual gifts to the Knox Fund in support of financial aid and scholarships, student athletics and organizations, independent student research and study abroad, faculty recruitment and retention, and other initiatives. Those donations, totaling $5.971 million, collectively represent the largest operating gift the College has ever received. More than $1.4 million of that sum was donated in just 24 hours during Knox’s second annual #KnoxProud Day.

Overall, Knox received $11.7 million in operating and capital gifts during fiscal year 2020, which ended on June 30. Just shy of 7,000 donors—6,998, to be precise, including alumni, parents, friends, and even current students—contributed. The number of alumni making gifts increased by 2 percent compared to the previous year, while faculty and staff participation increased by 5 percent.

The Knox community also contributed more than $225,000 to the College’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, used to provide students with emergency assistance as they adapted to Knox’s move to virtual learning during spring term. Gifts to the relief fund helped students pay for travel to return home quickly, enabled students studying abroad to return to the United States, and covered additional expenses related to moving to online instruction. Many of the fund’s recipients were international or DACA students who were ineligible for federal COVID-19 assistance. 

“I’ve frequently observed that this has been a year like no other at Knox,” stated President Teresa Amott, “but the challenges we’ve faced together demonstrate that our community is as strong and caring as ever. While there is still uncertainty ahead, I am confident we will all continue to respond with grace, resourcefulness, and compassion for one another.”