Once known as the Saint Peter’s College Annual Fund, The Saint Peter Fund is the bedrock of philanthropy for the College and named in honor of Saint Peter, the rock from which the Catholic Church was built. Though the name has changed, the critical areas of support remain the same: essential scholarships and unrestricted giving for the College’s greatest needs.
Cura personalis is a basic tenet of the College’s Ignatian heritage that emphasizes meeting the needs of an individual student as a whole – mind, body and spirit. The Saint Peter Fund performs a similar role for the College by funding programs and initiatives that support the needs of the whole community, such as freshman dorm improvements, many various academic lecture series and financial aid. Unrestricted gifts enable the College to allocate resources where they are needed most.
The Saint Peter Fund is fortunate to be co-chaired by brothers Mark Kahrer ’83 and Michael Kahrer ’79, who are both members of the President’s Council. Currently vice chair of the Saint Peter’s College Board of Regents, Mark Kahrer has served as president of the Alumni Board of Directors, chair of the Regents Mentoring Program and has actively participated on the Class of ’83 Reunion Committee and the Alumni Golf Outing Committee for years. Mark was an active member of the Hudson Catholic High School Save Our School coalition that helped to raise over $600,000 in four weeks to keep Hudson Catholic High School open, and served as secretary of the school’s Board of Consultors.
Michael Kahrer has served on the Alumni Board, as both secretary and vice president, and has been a member of the Board of Regents since 2003. He is a past grand knight with the Knights of Columbus, Council 6226, a volunteer and lector at St. Michael’s Church in Cranford, and is a member of the board of Raphael’s Life House, a transitional residence for homeless pregnant women and their babies in Elizabeth, N.J. Michael comments, “Saint Peter’s provided a foundation to build my life and career. I give so that others will have the same blessing.”
To learn more about giving to The Saint Peter Fund, please contact Claudia Pope-Bayne, director of annual giving, at (201) 761-6111 or cpopebayne@spc.edu. Gifts may be made online with a credit card by visiting spc.edu/giving.