Bennett College raises $8.2M in campaign to keep accreditation - Natalie Schwartz, Education Dive

Bennett College, a historically black women's liberal arts college in North Carolina, raised $8.2 million in a two-month fundraising campaign to avoid losing accreditation. At a hearing later this month, its accreditor will review the fundraising campaign and other financials to determine whether its accreditation can be formally reinstated.The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) announced in December that it would revoke Bennett's accreditation over concerns about its financial health. The college appealed the decision, with officials hoping to raise $5 million by Feb. 1 to boost its finances. The college launched a successful social media campaign under the hashtag #StandWithBennett that helped it nab million-dollar donations from nearby High Point University and from Kwanza Jones and José Feliciano, a couple who gave through their organization called the Supercharged Initiative. In all, Bennett received donations from roughly 11,000 contributors, including alumni, churches, and local and national businesses. https://www.educationdive.com/news/bennett-college-raises-82m-in-campaign-to-keep-accreditation/547636/