The Manchester Fund

Tuition alone has never covered the full cost of a Manchester education. The Manchester Fund ensures that the University can focus on teaching and learning while also handling the day-to-day realities of operating two busy campuses.

When students have higher-than-average financial need or experience cuts in government aid, The Manchester Fund helps keep them in school. When a roof springs a leak or an air conditioner breaks, The Manchester Fund is there to help fix it. When winter weather is exceptionally harsh, The Manchester Fund helps pay unexpectedly high utility costs and makes sure parking lots and sidewalks are safe for walking.

In other words, The Manchester Fund bridges the gaps and addresses the most urgent needs.

In recent years, the fund has upgraded plumbing and improved light in East Hall bathrooms, tuned campus pianos, and provided stronger Wi-Fi signals. Sometimes, it helps students seize opportunities. When the Spartan baseball team qualified for the national championship in Wisconsin, The Manchester Fund paid travel expenses for the team and coaches.

The fund also helps pay for laboratory equipment, subscriptions for the library, student activities and services such as health and career development.

With an adequate annual fund, Manchester can say yes to opportunities that enrich our students’ holistic experience.

The Difference You Will Make

• Financial aid helps fill the gaps between what students pay and the cost of their education, allowing them to stay at Manchester and graduate.
• University staff members can keep buildings clean, safe and in good repair, and keep our grounds beautiful.
• Manchester can meet its most pressing needs not covered by any other source.
• When the University can handle day-to-day challenges, students have a seamless experience.
• Technology upgrades improve student learning.
• Laboratory equipment and supplies encourage students to explore and discover.
• Subscriptions, books and other online resources enable students to research for class assignments, papers and presentations.
• Events such as Homecoming and May Day provide students with lifelong Manchester memories.
• When students can present at conferences or Spartan athletic teams advance in tournaments, Manchester can cover their travel expenses.

The Manchester Fund is OUR fund. It is the place where the smallest gifts can make the biggest impact. Leadership gifts of $1,500 or more admit donors to the President’s Society and formal recognition of their support for the University’s mission.

Every gift to The Manchester Fund helps provide an exceptional liberal arts experience for students and delivers what the world so desperately needs – more Manchester graduates.