By McGill Reporter Staff
It is both a gift and a challenge.
Just two days before the first anniversary of the public launch of Campaign McGill – that has already surpassed the $440-million mark – the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation donated $20 million to support the student experience at McGill.
The Foundation has already given more than $120 million to McGill since 1937. The new gift will support undergraduate and graduate students, and create five faculty chairs. As well, $17 million is designated to match gifts from new donors and/or encourage supporters to make larger gifts than they might otherwise make.
“The Foundation’s extraordinary legacy at McGill is truly breathtaking. For more than 70 years, the Foundation has funded our research, medical facilities, libraries, buildings, nature preserves and, most important, our people,” McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum said.
“The Foundation has a long tradition and a deep interest in supporting students through scholarships and fellowships,” said Tim Brodhead, President and CEO of the Foundation. “This gift carries on that tradition, and represents our profound faith in McGill as one of Canada’s premier post-secondary institutions.”