St. Augustine — Flagler College receives a $12 million gift from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust as part of a 3-1 matching gift to be paid over four years.
Noted as the largest donation to Flagler college since its inception, the gift will add an additional $36 million to address issues described as critical to the student experience. Investments will increase student financial aid, enhance academic programs, improve technological infrastructure, and restore and preserve the campus’s historic buildings specifically formerly known Hotel Ponce de Leon.
Seven million dollars will be used to improve the National Historic Landmark Building that includes an upgraded climate control system, updated corridors, new study lounges and community spaces for larger groups, plus enhancements to the building’s “historical elegance.”
In a press statement, the college said that their efforts will ensure an “environment that is conducive to meeting student and personnel needs while continuing the College’s reputation for best practices in historic preservation. "
In addition, $500,000 will be used to create classrooms and studio space for the Music program that the Kenan Trust helped establish at Flagler in 2018.
The gift will afford students a new Enterprise Resource Planning and Student Information System (ERP), which will streamline student registration, optimize schedules, and generate financial statements and budgets on mobile devices.
Two-million dollars of the Kenan Trust’s gift will serve to match other donors to establish up to 85 new, endowed scholarships for students in financial need, as well as minority and first-generation college students. One million dollars will serve to match donors interested in providing enhancements to the Flagler Sophomore High Impact Program known as FlagSHIP. Students enrolled in FlagSHIP courses combine classroom study and real-world experiences, people and issues including guided field research, community service learning and domestic and international travel.
The remaining $1.5 million of the Kenan Trust’s gift will be used to provide matching funds for annual support from alumni, parents, organizations, foundations, and friends to the College’s Flagler Fund.
“Flagler College has enjoyed remarkable successes in its first 50 years, with strong support from the Kenan Trust,” said Flagler College President John Delaney. “Our hope is to provide every deserving student at Flagler the opportunity to not just survive but to thrive on our campus. “We know this landmark gift will have a lasting impact on our students and our facilities.
“We are thankful to the Kenan Trust for their trust, partnership, and support,” he concluded.
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