What's next,
Hampshire?
The Board votes May 16 on a public sale of campus assets. Hampshire's bonds are due September. We have two weeks to put $5–10M in pledges on the table — enough to make a community-led alternative real.
Live momentum
Where the next experiment begins.
Hampshire was a visionary experiment, and it's where the next one begins.
For 55 years, Hampshire has been a place where students contribute to knowledge, justice, and positive change in the world. The trends now reshaping private liberal arts colleges — declining birth rates, federal student loan caps, demographic shifts — are coming for everyone. Hampshire has a chance to be ahead of the curve, and to set the new model.
We are a coalition of alumni, parents, faculty, and neighbors raising emergency funding alongside a proposal for a community-directed path forward — a way to keep the mission alive, preserve the land, and chart a sustainable path worthy of our history of radical reinvention.
The Board meets May 16. We have two weeks to put real money behind a path to a viable alternative.
- 55 yearsof experimental education in Amherst, Massachusetts
- 800 acresof campus, farmland, and forest currently up for review
- ~$21Min 2012 + 2016 bonds, effectively due September 2026
$5M in pledges by May 16 gives the Board a credible reason to pause the public sale of campus assets — proof the community can put real capital behind an alternative.
$10M committed gives the campaign standing to negotiate with bondholders, the AG's Charities Bureau, and a successor board slate — enough to make the alternative real, not theoretical.
$20M+ in pledges, offered to the College as a conditional, restricted gift, retires the bonds, keeps the legal entity and 800 acres intact, and clears the runway for a reorganized Hampshire under new governance.
Hampshire Next is an independent volunteer coalition — not affiliated with the College administration. The campaign is organized by alumni from across five decades, current and former faculty, parents of current students, and Amherst neighbors. Pledges are non-binding statements of intent; funds are only collected if and when the campaign reaches Phase 1 and a fiscal sponsor is in place. Governance and financial details will be opened to community input before pledges are converted.
Can't pledge financial support?
A few existing surveys and links — pick whichever fits.
A short form: tell us your skills, time, and how you'd like to plug in.
Join the email list for campaign updates and the next community call.
Share the campaign with alumni, parents, neighbors, and friends.
Direct questions, press, or partnership inquiries to the team.
Supporters.
Be the first.
Questions, answered.
Is Hampshire Next affiliated with Hampshire College?
No. Hampshire Next is an independent volunteer coalition of alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and neighbors. We are not affiliated with Hampshire College or its Board of Trustees.
Will my card be charged today?
No. Pledges are non-binding statements of intent. Funds are only collected if and when the campaign clears Phase 1 ($5M) and a fiscal sponsor is in place. You can revise or withdraw at any time before then.
What happens if the campaign doesn't reach Phase 1?
If the Board does not signal openness to a community-directed path by May 16, no money moves. We publish exactly what happened and where the campaign stands.
Will my pledge amount be public?
No. Your name (or chosen anonymity) joins the supporters wall within minutes. Your dollar figure is private, visible only in aggregate to the campaign team.
How do I list myself anonymously?
Choose 'List me anonymously by class year only' or 'Keep my pledge private' on the form. We honor your selection on the public wall.
Is my pledge tax-deductible?
Not yet. Pledges become tax-deductible contributions only after the campaign secures a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) status. We will share documentation when funds are converted.
I can't pledge financially — how else can I help?
Volunteer time, share the campaign, sign the open letter, or contact the team directly. See the 'Other ways to help' section above.