The Yawkey Foundations have been consistent supporters of CM providing scholarships for students from diverse backgrounds for the past 14 years. They have also been supportive in CM's facility improvements and campus expansion. The Yawkey Foundations support of our mission has had a profound effect on the lives of countless students and families, for which we are deeply grateful. This gift builds upon this legacy and supports our mission.
Over the past four years, CM has raised over $13.3 million in gifts and pledges to support our Edmund Rice mission. This philanthropic support has underwritten key initiatives at CM including increasing financial aid, attracting the most talented faculty, and providing an outstanding student experience. In 2016 and 2017, Catholic Memorial had the two most successful fundraising years in the 60-year history of CM.
This grant is a transformational gift and will enable the school to continue forward on its educational and campus master plan. The cost to renovate our existing administrative wing into a nucleus of 21
st
century education and teaching is $8.5 million. With the gift from the Yawkey Foundations, Catholic Memorial has now raised $5.3 million from generous donors towards this project.