Chief Advancement Officer Eric Yates reflects on what made the Williston Builds campaign so successful—and what comes next
If you could point to one key to this campaign’s success, what would it be?
Definitely people— Williston Builds was the ultimate team effort, with nearly 6,000 alumni, parents, grandparents, employees, and others contributing over the past eight years. The $86 million total reflects a huge range of gifts and donors. We had donors who made their first gifts ever, and donors who continued a 65-year giving streak. We had the largest gift in school history (see page 31) and small Venmo donations from current seniors on Founders Day. All of these were absolutely essential in helping us reach our goal. Beyond the dollars and cents, many people also gave their time— as alumni volunteers, event attendees, social media boosters, and members of our Board of Trustees or new Head’s Visiting Council, our alumni ambassador group that has been invaluable in guiding communications and fundraising. Looking at any measurement, from attendance at Reunion and events to participation in Founders Day, engagement is definitely at an all-time high.
“This campaign was about more than just reaching a number; it was about celebrating what’s best about this community and laying the foundation for Williston’s next great chapter.”
What was the most memorable or unexpected part of the campaign?
Completing the new Residential Quad was an enormous accomplishment. Seeing that space quickly become a central part of campus life has been deeply gratifying, because it marks the culmination of years of conversations, planning, and a leap of faith from some major donors. It’s really almost impossible to imagine our campus without it now. In terms of curveballs, in March 2020, just as we were about to launch the public phase of the Williston Builds campaign, COVID hit, and we had to shift our focus virtually overnight. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort to keep the school operating and provide continuity for students, so everything related to the campaign was put on hold indefinitely. But not surprisingly, the Williston community stepped up, both during COVID and after the campaign relaunch, and we quickly got back on track again.
Do you think the campaign has changed the way alumni and others feel about the school?
This campaign was about more than just reaching a number; it was about celebrating what’s best about this community and laying the foundation for Williston’s next great chapter. Williston has always had a bit of a “we-try-harder” attitude, bringing a scrappy mentality to developing our people and programs. Perhaps this stems from years of doing more with less—balancing limited resources of time, funding, and people. It may also reflect a culture that values authenticity and hard work. We’re still that school. That hasn’t changed. But the success of this campaign has us thinking bigger. We’re capable of achieving big things through philanthropic support, and we’ve proven ourselves worthy of that investment. This is the path forward—through philanthropy, Williston is evolving into a stronger, even more capable version of itself.
What’s next for Williston after the success of this campaign?
I’m proud of all we accomplished through Williston Builds. As you’ll see on the following pages, sustaining a multiyear comprehensive campaign has been vital for the shool. But from my perspective, this is the time to double down on Williston in every way. In the campaign’s final months, thanks to the generosity of supporters, we achieved so much. We endowed a new financial aid initiative and a fund to support student advisories. We attracted seed funding to launch a new faculty fellowship pilot program, and we set a new $2.75 million record for our 2023-24 Williston Northampton Fund. Now is the time to build on that momentum. Williston needs to keep growing its endowment, invest in new academic spaces, and sustain alumni and parent annual giving. We’ve proven what’s possible— and this is only the beginning.
By the Numbers
We don’t mean to boast—well, maybe a little—but thanks to you, the Williston Builds campaign broke all kinds of records. Here are just a few of the highlights.
$9.6M
Total dollars given in support of financial aid during the Williston Builds campaign
$86M
Total dollars raised during the Williston Builds campaign
$26M
Amount of confirmed bequests and planned gifts that will come to Williston in the future
64%
Increase of Williston’s endowment during the Williston Builds campaign, taking it from $36.6 million in 2016 to $60.2 million in 2024
58%
Growth of the Williston Northampton Fund during the campaign
97
Endowed funds that were added to or newly created during the campaign
12
Seven-figure gifts given during the campaign (out of 18 seven-figure gifts during Williston’s entire history!)
5,677
Total alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of the school who donated during
the campaign