A CIRCLE, ENDLESS AND BRILLIANT
“With their ideas, their service, and their generous gifts, Dartmouth women want students today and tomorrow to know that we are deeply invested in their success.”
— Elizabeth Cahill Lempres ’83 TH’84, Chair of the Dartmouth Board of Trustees
“We have placed Dartmouth at the vanguard of women’s philanthropy. Who benefits from this? Every student who can now enjoy a Dartmouth education through expanded scholarship resources and the knowledge that you care enough to see them through.”
— Laurel Richie ’81, Chair Emerita of the Dartmouth Board of Trustees
Our Mission
The mission of the Centennial Circle of Dartmouth Alumnae is to connect alumnae to one another and to Dartmouth faculty, leaders, and students in order to build community; foster dialogue about critical campus, national, and global issues; and contribute meaningfully to Dartmouth.
Our History
Inspired by the proud, 100-year history of the Dartmouth College Fund, alumnae representing five decades have joined together to create the Centennial Circle of Dartmouth Alumnae, an initiative that is setting the course for a new century of alumnae support.
Our Impact
Centennial Circle alumnae have come together to raise nearly $78 million in support of financial aid through the Dartmouth College Fund and over $311 million for Dartmouth overall. The Circle currently has more than 300 members and is open to all Dartmouth alumnae.
An Extraordinary Response
In early 2014, a small group of dedicated alumnae set an ambitious goal to recruit 100 Dartmouth women to make gifts of $100,000 or more to honor the 100th anniversary of the Dartmouth College Fund.
The response was extraordinary: in less than three months, 114 women joined the Centennial Circle and raised almost $15 million to support current female students through financial aid—demonstrating the strength of community and commitment shared by the women of Dartmouth.
Today, the Centennial Circle has more than 300 members and has raised $78 million in support of financial aid through the Dartmouth College Fund, which is equivalent to 1,500 full tuition scholarships. In addition, the Centennial Circle members have given $311 million in support of areas across Dartmouth.
Centennial Circle Makes $12.5 Million Financial Aid Gift
Celebratory alumnae gift marks a decade of supporting students.
Members of the Centennial Circle of Dartmouth Alumnae recognized the giving society’s 10th anniversary by making a gift that celebrates the group’s national philanthropic leadership and Dartmouth’s first woman president.
In a two-day gathering that looked forward while also saluting 10 years of accomplishments, Centennial Circle members presented a $12.5 million check to President Sian Leah Beilock. As with nearly all funds raised through the Centennial Circle, the anniversary gift will provide essential financial aid for undergraduates and graduate students through the Dartmouth College Fund and the annual funds of Dartmouth’s graduate and professional schools.
First-gen mentoring program
Mentor Goals
- Actively listen to help my mentee on her journey
- Provide perspective and guidance
- Help build confidence and overcome impostor syndrome (if she has it)
How It Works
- A successful mentor pairing is simply one in which both people turn up. You can meet in person, by Zoom, or on the phone.
- It's a two-way partnership, but the mentee drives the process.
- Each mentee is unique with her own needs and thus each pair is unique.
"A lot of the difficulty is simply not knowing how it all works. You don't need to have been a Dartmouth undergrad to be a mentor in this program. You just need to have navigated life."
—Ann-Marie Halsted T'97
"Dartmouth is a giant institution and there is so much for students to figure out in four years. I wanted to help students who might feel the same way I did."
—Samantha Schnee D'92
BECOME A MEMBER
Any alumna who makes a gift of $100,000 or more to the Dartmouth College Fund or to their professional school's annual fund is invited to become a member of the Centennial Circle. There are many ways to make a Centennial Circle-level gift, including gifts of securities.