AMHERST — A nonprofit coalition seeking to create an educational village at the Hampshire College campus after it closes at the end of the year has raised $2 million in pledges from 1,400 donors. The group envisions the site as a hub for learning, creativity and public engagement.
Hampshire Next announced Tuesday that they had reached the milestone, which organizers say demonstrates grassroots support and momentum toward the goal of buying the 800-acre campus, even as additional assistance will be needed from major donors and mission-aligned partners.
“It really shows what a voice we can have in the community,” says Ericka Jennings, who serves as a co-president of Hampshire Next. “The kind of support we’re getting from the grassroots level is very powerful.”
Through the financial commitment shown so far, Hampshire Next can have conversations with developers, conservation groups and others and be a participant in discussions on the future of the college.
Made up of alumni, staff, faculty, parents, students and community members, Hampshire Next’s mission is “to cultivate the evolution of Hampshire College’s radical commitment to self-directed learning, critical inquiry, and civic responsibility while amplifying its transformative impact on individuals, communities, education and the world.”
Hampshire Next formed just hours after President Jennifer Chrisler’s letter to the college community on April 29, stating that trustees intended to expedite the sale of the land it owns in Amherst and Hadley to pay back what is owed to financial institutions and other lenders. That came about two weeks after the college announced it would be closing at the end of 2026, following a fall semester teach-out with a streamlined student body and reduced faculty.
Jennings said Hampshire Next is approaching its work as if there is limited time to pursue its partnership strategy.
Hampshire Next is one of three groups that have made public proposals for acquiring the campus. Another proposal to reuse the campus as an educational institution comes from a Maryland-based philosopher, while a third, from The Trustees of Reservations and Kestrel Land Trust, looks to preserve the open space.
Bera Dunau, a Hampshire alum and spokesperson for Hampshire Next, explains that the $2 million in pledges leverages support from elsewhere.
“It helps us to further establish credibility with major donors and partners that we’re having discussions with,” Dunau said.
Hampshire Next has set a series of fundraising targets, and hitting each one unlocks further outreach and planning work, Dunau said.
If successful, Hampshire Next aims to create a financially sustainable educational ecosystem built around interdisciplinary study. The organization plans to combine its own educational programs with those of partners, sharing space, academic expertise and institutional resources in a collaborative model meant to expand access and opportunity.
“This educational village will draw those who seek to explore what liberal arts education can become,” Jennings said. “In a time when that inquiry is at the very heart of what our society needs, this ecosystem serves as a framework for self-directed community resiliency.”
Hampshire Next is looking to use the core campus while conserving the surrounding lands.
College finalizes loan for fall semester
For this fall, though, college operations will continue on site with a so-called teach-out, with these and other costs covered by a loan secured from a philanthropic lender, according to a letter sent to the campus community from College President Jennifer Chrisler on Monday.
“Finalizing the loan, along with projected revenue from tuition, philanthropy and auxiliary events, gives us confidence we have adequate resources to support the teach-out as planned and an orderly wind-down of operations,” Chrisler wrote.
The college also secured insurance for a campus where about 175 students will be studying and preparing for a final commencement scheduled for Dec. 18.
Because the number of employees will be much smaller, the college is consolidating office and work space, with an aim, Chrisler wrote, of improving collaboration, reducing isolation, strengthening communication and providing a cohesive support structure.
Chrisler also references the potential sales of the college and its property.
“We will continue towards successful land sales to fulfill our financial obligations and facilitate an orderly operational wind-down” she wrote.
Jennings observes that regular Zoom meetings have allowed Hampshire Next members to discuss the need for the education — and the space — that Hampshire College has offered for more than 55 years.
Hanna Grieyan, a Hampshire alum and Hampshire Next board member, calls places like Hampshire rare.
“This campus has long been a home for curiosity, experimentation, activism and community,” Grieyan said in a statement. “Hampshire Next is working to carry forward that distinctive spirit while reimagining how this extraordinary place can help shape the future of higher education and address the challenges of our time.”
