In support of Vassar’s Fearlessly Consequential campaign, the Dyson Foundation (Millbrook, NY) awarded a grant of $5,000,000 toward the modernization of Vassar’s Sport & Recreation Center. With almost one quarter of Vassar students playing on 29 intercollegiate athletic teams; another quarter utilizing the College’s fitness center; and more than 100 hours per week of physical education courses, fitness classes, and intramurals, students and our community partners will benefit from improvements to the athletic facilities of the Sport & Recreation Center that this grant and the campaign will fund. This initiative is a part of the campaign’s Campus Community priority area focused on creating the necessary spaces, places, and programs that promote a sense of belonging and well-being for Vassar’s student body. 

The new facility will feature a 200-meter competition track to support a three-season track program; new indoor and outdoor tennis courts; locker rooms and a sports medicine hub; as well as additional multipurpose space, all while meeting Vassar’s Green Building Standards. Dyson Foundation funds will support the construction of the Sport & Recreation Center’s natatorium, featuring a new pool to accommodate competitive short- and long-course swimming, diving, and recreational swimming, as well as access by local schools and community organizations.

Established in 1957, the Dyson Foundation has since made grants exceeding $400 million to organizations of all sizes, both locally and nationwide. Current grantmaking focuses on the Mid-Hudson Valley to improve the quality of life in the region; to create opportunities and support for the economically disadvantaged; and to strengthen the nonprofit sector. The Dyson Foundation has long been a generous partner to Vassar, funding efforts as varied as the Vassar Education Collaboration; early education research at Wimpfheimer; and the “Community Fellows” summer internships for undergraduates, now a program of the Office of Community-Engaged Learning. Throughout, the Dyson Foundation’s support has nurtured program development and leveraged other investments in Vassar’s educational and outreach activities.