On Nov. 11, Swarthmore College kicked off its annual Rally for the Garnet Giving Challenge, a two-day fundraising initiative aimed at strengthening Garnet athletics and expanding resources for student-athletes.
By the end of the campaign, the community had raised $191,454 from 1,333 donors, surpassing participation goals and reinforcing the strong support behind Swarthmore’s athletic programs. According to the Rally for the Garnet webpage, the fund “ensures equitable access to vital resources, with a special focus on enhancing health and wellness” for all Swarthmore student-athletes. This mission was reflected in both the volume of gifts and the enthusiasm of those who contributed.
This year’s Rally for the Garnet featured a series of donation challenges to encourage widespread participation and unlock additional funding gifted by generous donors. Swarthmore Athletic’s goal of 800 donors was met early on in the campaign. By surpassing this goal, the Garnet unlocked a $15,000 matching gift given by Frank I. Brown ’68 and Vera (Grant) Brown ’70. During his time at Swarthmore, Frank was the broadcaster of football and men’s basketball games, student-manager for the baseball team, and Swarthmore’s sports information director. Vera was a member of the softball team. The Browns are currently members of the Garnet Club Advancement Council (GCAC), a volunteer-run group whose mission seeks to grow campus athletics and the student-athlete experience.
Several team-specific challenges helped fuel momentum as well. Swarthmore baseball alum and GCAC member Bob Lembo ’73 generously completed a $10,000 dollar-for-dollar challenge to support the Baseball Dugout Project, an initiative creating new dugouts on Clothier Baseball Field in honor of pitcher Matt Bertuch ’14, whose impact on the program continues to be remembered by teammates, coaches, and members of the Swarthmore Baseball community. During his time at Swarthmore, Lembo wrote for the sports section of The Phoenix and practiced as a student athletic trainer. Bertuch was a stellar athlete, and the first Garnet baseball player to be named to the D3baseball.com National Team of the Week. A separate matching challenge supported the men’s basketball team, where gifts up to $5,000 were doubled by an anonymous family of the basketball program.
Friendly competition among athletic teams also played a key role in driving participation. An anonymous donor committed supplemental gifts to the three teams with the highest donor percentages. Percentages were calculated using a ratio of donors to each program’s active alumni and parent base in order to maintain parity across roster size. Men’s lacrosse led the field with an extraordinary 434.6% donor participation from 339 donors in total, earning the program a $2,500 first-place award. Baseball followed closely at 424.7% with 310 donors, securing a $1,500 award. Men’s basketball placed third at 138.9% with 75 donors, earning $1,000. Softball, field hockey, and men’s and women’s swimming rounded out the next-highest participation rates.
Rally for the Garnet continues to be one of the most community-driven fundraising efforts at Swarthmore. The diverse donor base itself reflected the broad reach of the campaign, extending support well beyond campus engagement. Among the 1,333 donors, 416 were parents, 381 were alumni, and 373 were friends of the college.
Funds raised during the campaign will directly enhance the student-athlete experience across Swarthmore’s 22 varsity programs. According to the college, gifts will bolster mental health, nutrition, and holistic wellness services for athletes; expand resources to support competition travel and national-level opportunities; and further develop high-quality play-by-play livestream coverage of home contests to connect the broader community with Garnet athletics.
Through these combined efforts, the Rally for the Garnet challenge successfully met fundraising goals and reaffirmed the strong sense of connection and giving among Swarthmore’s athletic community.
