“Catawba College is dedicated to providing students a liberal arts education rich with opportunities to explore the world and to learn to care for it,” said David P. Nelson, president of Catawba College. “This significant gift helps reinforce that commitment for generations to come and enables us to take bold steps now toward a cleaner future.” The college achieved carbon neutrality in 2023, seven years ahead of its 2030 goal, and it has integrated sustainability, conservation, and environmental stewardship across operations and campus life.
This gift, combined with a $200 million gift in 2021 and $42 million in 2022, pushes the college’s endowment to more than $580 million. The per student endowment now approaches $500,000, which is among the highest in the Southeast.
The gift comes at a time of significant development of the Salisbury, N.C. campus, with multiple projects underway that align with the institution’s commitment to sustainability, community, and student experience:
- The Smokestack, a reclamation of the college’s old coal power plant renovated according to Living Building Challenge standards, will provide an additional 10,000 square feet of space for students.
- A new 150-bed residence hall is scheduled for completion in August 2026, and two additional residence halls are being renovated. All three projects prioritize sustainable building practices.
These gifts to the endowment, along with other recent gifts, provide funding for scholarships that support high-achieving and high-need students, grants for study abroad and study away programs, internships, and undergraduate research.
More than 1,230 students from 40 U.S. states and 26 countries study at Catawba College, which is recognized by the Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report as one of the top colleges in the Southeast.
