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MARIETTA -- Marietta College received a record $19.3 million in philanthropic support during the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to a release issued by the college.
The total surpassed the $16.1 million received during the previous fiscal year and marked an increase from the $7.4 million received three years ago, the release said. The college described it as the most successful year of giving in the institution's nearly 200-year history.
The milestone came one year after Marietta introduced "More History to Make," a strategic plan focused on expanding experiential learning, strengthening academic programs, deepening the college's role as a regional asset and supporting its long-term financial sustainability, according to the release.
"For nearly two centuries, Marietta's story has been written by people who believed enough in its future to invest in it," President Kathleen Poorman Dougherty said in the release. "This incredible year reminds us that our greatest strength has always been our people. Together, they are creating opportunities for today's students while laying the foundation for generations of Pioneers still to come."
The release credited alumni, parents, faculty members, staff, trustees, foundations, corporations and other supporters for the record-setting year.
More than $14.5 million supported The Marietta Fund and More History to Make to provide resources the college can direct toward student and institutional needs.
Citing the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the college said more than four of every five dollars donated to higher education nationally are designated for specific purposes.
According to the release, the funding is strengthening the college's marketing and enrollment efforts and supporting the launch of new undergraduate and graduate programs through investments in employees, resources, equipment and learning spaces.
The support includes renovated space for the first group of students in Marietta's clinical mental health counseling graduate program. Donor funding also supported the renovation of the first floor of Legacy Library into the Milone Center for Academic and Career Success, which opened in January.
The college said the center combines academic support, career preparation and experiential learning opportunities offered through what Marietta calls The Landmark Experience.
The release also highlighted the Center for Earth, Energy, and the Environment, which hosted its inaugural symposium and started the CEEE Launch Challenge in April. The Center for Appalachian Innovation began its work in November 2025 with financial support from the state of Ohio, according to the release.
The college said those efforts demonstrate how philanthropy, public funding and institutional investments are supporting academic innovation, student achievement and community partnerships.
Several students were highlighted in the release as examples of how they have benefited from financial support and college programs.
Ashley Etzel, a member of the class of 2028, is conducting advanced physics research through the Appalachian Semiconductor Education and Technical Fellows program. Brady McManaway, a member of the class of 2026 and among the first in his family to pursue a college education, said scholarship assistance eased his financial burden and inspired him to give back to his community and future generations. Storm Stimmel, a member of the class of 2027, is preparing for a career in public policy and journalism through leadership opportunities and research focused on economic development in Appalachian Ohio, the release said.
The release also highlighted incoming student Jasmine Christensen, a member of the Class of 2030 who received the John G. and Jeanne B. McCoy Scholarship. The scholarship covers full tuition, room and board. According to the college, Christensen was raised by teenage parents who faced financial hardship and other challenges, and she had often believed attending college was beyond her reach.
"It was like all the hard nights of studying, showing up when I didn't have the energy, and saying the things no one wanted to say were all worth it," Christensen wrote to her scholarship donors, according to the release. "I cried … not only because I was extremely honored, but because I most certainly needed it."
Nearly $6.8 million of the college's philanthropic support came from estate gifts planned years or decades before the money was received, the release said.
"This record reflects a community that believes deeply in our students and Marietta College's future," Bethany McFarland Leslie, a 2012 Marietta graduate and vice president for advancement, said in the release. "Every gift represents someone choosing to invest in possibility. Together, those acts of generosity give Marietta the flexibility to respond to students' needs, pursue bold ideas and create opportunities that change lives."