Alumni on Philanthropy, Values, and Paying It Forward

What does it mean to give back? Ask three different Champlain alumni, and you’ll get three very different answers. But sit with Avery Murphy ’23, Roland Palmer ’90, and Audrey Holm-Hansen ’94 long enough, and a common thread emerges. Philanthropy isn’t about wealth. It’s about values — all shaped by decades of different life experiences and definitions of what community means to them.

The three alumni returned to campus for a panel discussion on philanthropy and what paying it forward means to them. Their discussion challenged some of the most common assumptions about giving, and made a compelling case for why it matters at any stage of life, in any amount. For each panelist, the drive to give back was rooted in something deeply personal.

Avery Murphy came to Champlain as a transfer student during the height of the pandemic, unsure of what her path would look like. A work-study position with Chauncey’s Cupboard, Champlain’s on-campus food pantry, changed that. “I discovered philanthropy through those efforts and fundraising,” she said. “It showed me how important it really was.” Growing up in a small town where she personally relied on free school lunches, Avery has always felt drawn to causes that address basic needs. Today, that means donating to literacy organizations and supporting initiatives close to her heart. “I’ve always believed in giving back to what means most to you.”

Roland Palmer’s story begins with a single moment in Skiff Hall, when he sat with his financial aid officer and learned that his package had come up short. That conversation introduced him to the Support-A-Student Scholarship, a need-based award that bridges the gap for hundreds of students each year. Roland was one of them. “If I hadn’t gotten that scholarship, I literally would have had to reconsider,” he said. “It meant, and, still to this day, means so much to me.” He made his first gift to Champlain the day after graduation. It was five dollars. He’s been giving to Support-A-Student ever since.

For Audrey Holm-Hansen, the connection to Champlain is both professional and personal. A two-time alum who returned to campus years after earning her associate’s degree, Audrey channeled her philanthropy into honoring someone she loves. “I endowed a scholarship for my father,” she shared. “It’s for people who have been out in the world and wanted to return to school, so they could get a better education to create a better life for themselves.” That scholarship reflects something she knows firsthand: that Champlain has always been a place that meets people where they are.

Stories & Values Come to Life

One of the most important insights the panel offered was that when you make a gift to the College, you’re not just giving to an institution, you’re investing in the people and communities it impacts every day.

“I want other students who really want to attend to be able to come to Champlain,” Roland said, “and if they need a little help, we will have that help for you.” That perspective, giving not for the institution’s sake, but for the next student sitting in the financial aid office, is at the heart of what paying it forward means.

The panel also showcased that there is a fund for nearly everything. Scholarships, student life, experiential and immersive learning, specific programs, emergency support; the areas of giving at Champlain are designed to let donors direct their support toward what resonates most with their own story and values. “You have the opportunity to give to the areas that matter to you,” noted the panel’s moderator. That alignment between personal values and philanthropic giving is what transforms a transaction into something meaningful.

Philanthropy Is Not One Size Fits All

Perhaps the most empowering message of the evening was that there is no right way to give. Whether that’s sharing an organization’s social media posts to help spread the word, volunteering your time and expertise to mentor current students, or making financial contributions, every act of philanthropy makes a difference.

More importantly, when it comes to monetary donations, the size of the gift matters far less than the act itself. “There were times in my early years when I was also paying back student loans, and I literally donated a dollar,” Audrey shared. “But it was yet another body, another person who was contributing.”

Audrey also introduced the idea of naming Champlain as a beneficiary on a retirement or bank account, as a way to give meaningfully over time, even when the present moment doesn’t allow it. “Even if you can’t literally contribute now, you’re going to be contributing down the line.”

Roland put it simply, sharing, “I knew that my little five dollars, added with someone else’s five dollars, added with another five dollars, would end up changing someone’s life, as it changed mine.”

Small contributions, recurring gifts, legacy designations, social shares, volunteer hours — all of it counts. Philanthropy isn’t reserved for a particular income bracket or life stage. It’s a practice.

What the three panelists share across three decades of Champlain experiences is a belief in the ripple effect of generosity. Each of them benefited, in some way, from a community that showed up for them. And each of them has chosen, in their own way and on their own timeline, to show up for someone else.