What's next,
Hampshire?
The Board is expected to vote on the future of the campus on May 16. We have two weeks to fund a community-led alternative that secures a future for Hampshire as a home for innovative, radical education.
Live momentum
Hampshire College is an institution unlike any other — closing doesn't need to be the end of our experiment.
For 55 years, Hampshire has been a place that encourages student to break down barriers, d [PLACEHOLDER]
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
- [PLACEHOLDER][PLACEHOLDER]
Phase 1 ($5M) signals to the Board that the community can put real capital behind an alternative — enough to slow the disposition of land and assets long enough for a serious plan to be heard.
Phase 2 ($10M) funds a year of operating runway under community-led governance: a working pilot, not a white paper, that demonstrates Hampshire's mission can survive without selling itself.
Phase 3 ($25M) is the campaign minimum to keep the 800 acres intact and the educational mission going — held in trust for the next generation of Hampshire students.
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.
Put a number behind the proposal.
We carry the sum of your pledges into the May 16 Board meeting as evidence the community can fund a credible alternative. Pledge what you would actually commit.
- Nothing is charged today.
Funds are only collected if the campaign clears Phase 1 ($5M) and a fiscal sponsor is in place. You can revise or withdraw at any time before then.
- Tied to a real trigger.
If the Board does not signal openness to a community-directed path by May 16, no money moves — and we publish exactly what happened and where the campaign stands.
- Public total, private amount.
Your name (or chosen anonymity) joins the supporters wall within minutes. Your dollar figure is private, visible only in aggregate to the campaign team.
Four things you do next.
The pledge total only matters if it is paired with people willing to act.
- 01Tell three people.
An alum, a parent, a neighbor. The campaign grows by direct invitation. A short share kit is in the confirmation email.
- 02Show up.
We're convening community conversations as the proposal develops. Confirmation email has the calendar — bring questions, hear it in detail, push back.
- 03Add your voice.
An open letter to the Board is gathering signatures alongside the pledges. Linked from the confirmation email.
- 04If you can, give time.
Outreach, drafting, legal review, fiscal-sponsor coordination — the campaign needs hands. The volunteer survey is in the confirmation email.
The road from a pledge to community governance.
- Now → May 15Phase 1 — Buy time.
Reach $5M in pledges and gather community signal — open letter, conversations, written input. Goal: show the Board that a community-directed path has real backing.
- May 16Board meeting.
The campaign formally presents the pledge total, the open letter, and the proposal to the Board of Trustees. We publish the outcome the same day.
- Late May → summerPhase 2 — Prove the alternative.
If signal is positive: a fiscal sponsor is named, a community process is opened to shape governance and priorities, and pledges begin converting. Phase 2 ($10M) funds a year of community-led operating runway.
- Fall onwardPhase 3 — Carry the land.
The community process — by then with structure of its own — carries Hampshire Next forward. Phase 3 ($25M) carries the 800 acres and the educational mission with it.
The exact shape of the community process is itself something we'll work out together — what's committed is that pledges, governance, and major decisions will be opened to collective input before they're converted to action.
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.