Campaign Priorities
President's Message | Priorities | Leadership | Frequently Asked Questions
Five Areas Where Your Support Is Needed
New England Conservatory has embarked on a comprehensive campaign to raise $100 million over seven years. This historic venture will transform NEC and assure its position at the forefront of musical education for years to come. The campaign has five key goals:
#1 STUDENT FINANCIAL AID: $43 million
Talent is impossible to predict; it can come from anywhere, and it has no relation to a student’s ability to pay. Each year thousands of students apply for admission to NEC; 90% need significant financial help. By increasing NEC’s long-term financial resources, the Campaign will open the door for many of these talented young people—and also help reduce the large debt burden on graduating students as they begin a career in music.
#2 FACULTY RECRUITMENT AND SUPPORT: $14.5 million
Today’s faculty at the Conservatory is stronger than ever. The string department is regarded by many as the best in the country. The jazz program is unrivalled. Thirty members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra teach here, three members of the Cleveland Quartet, prize-winning composers, pianists, voice coaches. These extraordinary teachers keep alive the tradition of one-on-one studio instruction—a relationship that is at the core of an NEC education. The Campaign will enable NEC to continue attracting the world’s most sought-after musicians.
#3 COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: $5 million
Every Saturday morning during the school year, 1,400 young people arrive, instruments in hand, from over 200 cities and towns for lessons at NEC’s Preparatory School, one of the best community music programs in the United States. The Prep School is open to any child or teenager who wishes to develop skills that last a lifetime. NEC also offers adult education courses, free lessons for senior citizens, training for public school teachers, and other outreach activities. Your support will give people of all ages an opportunity to make music part of their lives.
#4 CAMPUS RENEWAL: $20 million
The Campaign for New England Conservatory begins a major commitment to upgrading the school’s physical plant. By the end of the decade, our libraries will be consolidated and enlarged. New technology, small study rooms, and archive space will all be added. Student housing will be replaced by a state-of-the-art dormitory. Practice and rehearsal rooms will be renovated and increased in number. These improvements will have a direct impact on the quality of life for students and faculty.
#5 NEC ANNUAL FUND: $17.5 million
Every aspect of life at New England Conservatory is supported by the NEC Annual Fund. The revenue needed to run a complex organization like the Conservatory comes from the unrestricted annual contributions of thousands of donors, in addition to endowment income and tuition. These individual gifts help pay for scholarships, faculty recruitment, free concerts and masterclasses, library resources, travel to competitions, technology, security, and maintenance. The Annual Fund provides the lifeblood for NEC’s day-to-day activities.