Your gift of any size to the Forester Fund provides direct and immediate support to the College's greatest needs: scholarships and financial aid, new programs and initiatives, experiential learning, and faculty excellence. Your contribution will have a profound impact on the Lake Forest College community as we make it together.
Giving Tuesday is an international day of celebrating generosity and supporting organizations that you’re passionate about. At Lake Forest College, support from donors is how we continue to offer the life-changing education and transformational learning opportunities that set our students up for success. No matter the size of your gift, it is directly impacting our current and future Foresters and is making a significant difference in their lives. Gifts of $65+ will receive an exclusive pair of Forester socks—make a gift today!
Together, alumni gifts showcase the power of Foresters united across generations. Track this fiscal year's donor progress of alumni by graduation decade—collectively, we can show the strength of the Forester alumni community.
10 Donors
55 Donors
95 Donors
78 Donors
61 Donors
54 Donors
44 Donors
Philanthropic support for Lake Forest College has a direct impact on our students and their experiences. Whether through scholarships, faculty and program support, or gifts to our Forester Fund, the impact of philanthropy is felt across our campus.
Thanks to the generosity of 3,034 others, the Forester Fund raised over $2.7 million during 2024-25. This fund is critical in supporting every part of the Forester experience, including:
Former Dean of Admissions and lifelong champion of the College, Spike Gummere has dedicated decades to welcoming generations of Foresters. Now, he and his wife Judy are ensuring that legacy lives on through a $5 million bequest—one of the largest planned gifts in the College’s history. This remarkable gift establishes the Francis B. “Spike” Gummere Vice President for Enrollment and strengthens the College’s endowment—further securing the student-centered academic experience that Spike and Judy have long cherished.
Lake Forest College recently named the home of the Office of Campus Life, located on the intersection of Sheridan and Rosemary roads, the Van Ness House in recognition of a transformational gift of $5 million from distinguished alumni Gardiner "Gary" Van Ness III '64 and Jessie (Steiner) Van Ness '69.
Gary Van Ness grew up in Lake Forest and met Jessie at the College, a fellow student who would later become his wife. The two built their lives in "The Forest," raising their family just minutes from campus. Their deep connection to the College, and their desire to strengthen its future for generations to come, inspired their generous endowment gift.
