Whittier Now!

Fuel the Whittier Transformation.

 

As the world grows more connected, uncertain, and complex, Whittier College is leading the way with a transformative experience. We don’t just prepare our students for the future—we empower them to shape it. Guided by purpose, rooted in social good, and strengthened by community, this is a journey we embark on together—with you.

At Whittier, our Quaker-inspired values create a supportive environment where every student can thrive. Our distinctive liberal arts education goes beyond our academic excellence. It fosters meaningful connections between students and faculty, providing a space where learning is equally about personal and professional growth as it is about intellectual discovery. In our Whittier way, through applied learning and close-knit faculty relationships, we offer an experience that transforms students along their journey.

This innovative approach paves the way for students to climb the economic ladder, advance their professions, and flourish in their personal lives. This is the Whittier transformation we invite you to fuel. Together, we aim to raise $24 million by 2029 to drive our mission forward.

Why Whittier Now?

We want your help investing in a future that matters — one where our students can continue creating positive change and leading their communities.

Your support will make a lasting impact on Whittier College by bringing the following transformative statements to life:

Two students in libraryAffordability

 You fund scholarships that open doors and awaken dreams. 

Your contributions directly enhance the affordability and accessibility of a Whittier education. Our power lies in our inclusivity — not our exclusivity — and the scholarships you help fund open doors for students. In addition to creating opportunities, your donations ensure students can fully capitalize on these pathways that are newly within reach. You play a vital role in increasing their capacity to thrive in an academic environment that values personal growth, mentorship, and success.

 

Professor and student in science labAcademic Distinction

 You enable our 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio that makes individualized learning and close-knit relationships a reality.

The learning opportunities offered at Whittier are world-class, but it’s the faculty creating them that really make a difference. That’s why we’re committed to supporting professors who guide interactive classrooms and establish meaningful mentoring relationships with their students. These layered connections form the heart of our learning environment, which is crucial to preparing the next generation of leaders.

 

Two students in Uptown WhittierCareer Readiness

 You help us turn liberal arts into real-world lessons, graduating exemplary members of society.

Whittier College combines the intellectual curiosity instilled by the liberal arts with an understanding that outside our sunlit halls, careers don’t exist in subject-matter silos. Through personalized mentorship, we provide students with internship and research opportunities where they can flex and hone their skills in real-world settings. We graduate thoughtful communicators and leaders who embrace diversity and integrity in an increasingly complex global society.

Two graduates from Whittier CollegeSocial Mobility

You remind us that “student” is singular and “success” is plural.

The thoughtful relationship we build with every student is an investment in our collective growth. We intentionally build a community that believes in, commits to, and inspires one another. This guarantees that as our graduates succeed and climb the economic ladder, they always remember to lend a hand to those next in line. It shouldn’t be surprising that U.S. News & World Report ranked Whittier #16 in “Top Performers on Social Mobility” among national liberal arts colleges in 2024. With your help, we will continue to offer the resources, scholarships, and support that allow students to achieve their dreams and uplift their families and communities. Because individual accomplishment leads to opportunities for our broader world.

 

Whittier Now, Into the Future.

After kicking off this historic initiative in 2023, your contributions totaling more than $2.2M have already benefited young Poets in the following key areas:

  • Supporting Faculty and Academic Excellence: Investment in retaining high-quality faculty, research, and academic programs ensures that Whittier College continues to prioritize its community of learners and leaders. 
  • Enhancing Student Life and Engagement: Efforts to rejuvenate student involvement in a post-pandemic setting reinforce the values of a close-knit Whittier community. We created more opportunities for on-campus student worker positions and internships, providing both valuable life experience and crucial financial support for students.
  • Increasing Scholarship Support: Scholarships continue to be one of the most indispensable ways to open our transformational halls to more students.
  • Extending Library Hours and Services: With longer library hours and more comprehensive support services, we advanced our commitment to meeting each student's needs. Increased flexibility and augmented resources go a long way toward helping individuals define their own version of success. 
  • Fostering Creative Expression with the Pop-Up Poet Cart: This mobile snack unit makes gatherings lively at various locations around campus, becoming a hub for informal student performances of music, improv, and art displays and increasing  campus vitality.

Every gift matters. Your continued support of Whittier Now! will help students thrive at this College that they can call their own. In a community as interconnected as ours, your contribution isn’t just a gift to the College — it’s an investment in the future of every student, family, and neighborhood we touch.

Join us in charting a daring path forward, in awakening dreams, and in strengthening a nexus of Whittier achievements that has the power to reverberate around the globe. Whittier College needs all of us… now!