A Truly Remarkable Gift
Harold Alfond Foundation’s $101-Million Gift to Colby Supports Two Transformative Initiatives
Colby has received a $101-million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation—the College’s third gift of more than $100 million. This gift will have an unprecedented impact on the economic revitalization of downtown Waterville and the development of the most advanced D-III facility in the country—two of the College’s major priorities which align with two passions of Harold Alfond.
This is the third gift of more than $100 million that the College has received and builds on many decades of philanthropy from the Harold Alfond Foundation to Colby. It is part of the Foundation’s recently announced $500 million of new grant investments in Maine institutions.
A gift of this magnitude will make an immeasurable difference in the lives of Colby students and the entire community, from providing an unrivaled student-athlete experience and resources to support wellness to growing the region’s creative economy and making Waterville a hub of creativity and entrepreneurship.
To date, $84 million of investment by Colby and the Foundation can be seen in a wide range of important initiatives in downtown Waterville, including the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons, a residential complex for Colby students in the middle of downtown that has deepened civic engagement with the community; the soon-to-be-completed Lockwood Hotel with its new Front and Main restaurant; the arts collaborative; and the Paul J. Schupf Art Center.
Renderings of the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center (clockwise from top left), arts collaborative, Paul J. Schupf Art Center, and the Lockwood Hotel.
The generous grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation also supports the College’s new Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center. As the most state-of-the-art and comprehensive NCAA D-III facility in the country, it is another example of Colby’s and the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to excellence and supporting students in pursuit of their goals.
More about this gift to the College and the initiatives it supports can be found here.