Catawba College receives record $200 million gift from anonymous donor

SALISBURY, N.C. — An anonymous donor has given a North Carolina college $200 million for its endowment, the largest gift in its history, officials announced.

Catawba College in Salisbury, with an enrollment of 1,200, announced the gift on Thursday.

“This extraordinary gift is an affirmation of the quality of education at Catawba College and reflects the donor’s ambition for Catawba to flourish for generations to come,” said David P. Nelson, Catawba’s president.

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According to the school’s web page, one-third of the gift will provide recurring funding to support and enhance Catawba’s programs in environment and sustainability. Two-thirds of the gift is dedicated to supporting strategic initiatives, strengthening student scholarships, enhancing student success programming, promoting a thriving workplace and investing in faculty excellence, the school said.

“This is cause for celebration for our entire community,” Catawba’s vice president of development, Meg Dees, said. “The donor hopes this gift will inspire and catalyze additional philanthropic contributions that support Catawba’s high-impact programs and initiatives.”

Earlier this year, Catawba received gifts totaling $18 million to retire the college’s entire debt.

“It is impossible to adequately express our gratitude,” said Nelson. “Our donor’s generosity funds our imagination, enabling us to provide a liberal arts education that frees students to create the world where we all want to live.”

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