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SUPPORTING KEBLE

Donor Recognition

Keble College was established through philanthropy, and the continued support of our alumni and friends plays an increasingly vital role in securing a sustainable and thriving future for the College.

Your contributions enable us to undertake initiatives that would not otherwise be possible, enhancing the experience of current students and ensuring we remain able to offer a world-class education to future generations. We believe it is important to recognise the generosity of our alumni and friends, and we express our gratitude in a number of meaningful ways. All donors are acknowledged in our annual Impact Report, unless they have requested anonymity.

Recognition Levels

Our major donors are recognised at various levels based on their cumulative contributions, including Gift Aid. These levels reflect our deep gratitude for the transformative impact such generosity has on the life of the College.

This year, we are extending our donor recognition programme to include Legacy Pledgers, allowing us to thank and recognise during their lifetimes those who have chosen to remember Keble in their Wills.*

College Recognition

Friends £10,000+

Friends are invited to:

– Annual Donor Drinks Party

– College Feast every five years

Waddington Shirley Circle £25,000+

Named in honour of Walter Waddington Shirley, who played a part in the founding of Keble as well as being an early advocate of the university extension movement, which sought to increase educational opportunities for a broader section of society.

Members of the Waddington Shirley Circle are invited to:

– Annual Donor Drinks Party

– College Feast every three years

– Waddington Shirley & Lavinia Lyttelton Circle annual gathering.

Lavinia Lyttelton Circle £50,000+

Named in honour of Lavinia Lyttelton (later Lavinia Talbot), wife of Keble’s first warden and a strong promoter of women’s education.

Members of the Lavinia Lyttelton Circle are invited to:

– Annual Donor Drinks Party

– College Feast every two years

– Waddington Shirley & Lavinia Lyttelton Circle Annual Meeting

– London Advent Carol Service with VIP Access

Warden’s Court £100,000+

Members of the Court are invited annually to:

– Donor Drinks Party

– College Feast

– London Advent Carol Service with VIP access

– Keble Early Music Festival with VIP access

In addition, members are extended a personal invitation to an annual dinner hosted by the Warden, held exclusively for members of the Warden’s Court. This dinner offers donors the chance to engage with the Warden and senior leaders of the College.

1870 Fellow £500,000+

A Fellowship by Special Election named to commemorate the founding year of the College.

1870 Fellows receive annual invitations to:

– Donor Drinks Party

– College Feast

– Keble Early Music Festival

– Warden’s Court dinner

– Keble Advent Carol Service and Dinner

– St Mark’s Day Service and Dinner in Hall

Butterfield Fellow £1m+

The highest honour the College bestows to its donors, this Fellowship by Special Election is named in honour of William Butterfield, Keble’s original architect.

Butterfield Fellows receive annual invitations to:

– Donor Drinks Party

– College Feast

– Keble Early Music Festival

– Warden’s Court dinner

– Keble Advent Carol Service and Dinner

– St Mark’s Day Service and Dinner in Hall

They are further invited to an exclusive annual meeting with the Warden and College’s Senior Team. These meetings allow donors to gain a greater understanding of the College operations and future plans.

University Recognition

Vice-Chancellor’s Circle £250,000+

The Vice-Chancellor’s Circle recognises donors who have provided support to the collegiate University totalling at least £250,000. Members receive regular communications from the Vice-Chancellor and are invited to an annual meeting at the University, and a lunch or dinner in College.

Vice-Chancellor’s Guild £1m+

Launched in 2023 for members of the Vice-Chancellor’s Circle who have given over £1m, the Guild meets annually.

Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors £5m+

The Chancellor may invite the University’s most significant supporters to become members of the prestigious Court of Benefactors (CCB). The Court meets each autumn in Oxford.

The Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors Fellowship and The Clarendon Arch £15m+

The Fellowship recognises members of the CCB who have provided exceptional philanthropic gifts to the University. Fellows may have their generosity honoured by having their name engraved in the Clarendon Arch, near the entrance of the historic Bodleian Library.

Names inscribed on the arch include some of the University’s most prominent benefactors, including King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Thomas Bodley. Benefactors added within the last generation include Dame Stephanie Shirley, Mr George Soros, HM Queen Elizabeth II, the Alfred Landecker Foundation, Leonard Polonsky, Christopher C. Rokos, and the Inamori Foundation.

The Arch is updated approximately every three years and it is due to be updated in 2027.

The Sheldon Medal £50m+

The highest honour the University can bestow is the Sheldon Medal, which is reserved for an individual benefactor who has made a strategic difference to the life of the University. The medal was first awarded in 2002 and is named after Gilbert Sheldon, one of Oxford’s early benefactors, who graduated in 1620.

Recipients of the Sheldon Medal since its inception include the late Dr James Martin (2006), Sir Leonard Blavatnik (2012), and Mr Simon Reuben and Mr David Reuben (2022).

All gifts are subject to the scrutiny of the College Development and Communications Committee and, where necessary, the University Committee to Review Donations and Research Funding (CRDRF).

* Those who have pledged a gift to the College in their Will may qualify for recognition at one of our Donor Recognition levels where the value of their pledged legacy is at least twice the equivalent cash-gift qualifying level, excluding 1870 Fellow and Butterfield Fellow recognition.