Galvan Donates Real Estate Portfolio to Bard College in Historic Gift to Advance Community Building Mission and Support Bard’s Endowment Campaign

HUDSON, NY—In a transformative act of philanthropic partnership, Galvan Foundation has made a major gift to Bard College, marking the next step for the Foundation’s legacy of community development in Hudson and Columbia County. The gift will be directed towards Bard’s groundbreaking $500 million endowment campaign. The donation includes a large collection of mixed-income housing units, single-family homes, and reinvigorated commercial and public-use properties, all positioning Bard as the new steward of these significant nonprofit real estate holdings. Galvan will also establish a fund dedicated to support ongoing Bard programming in Columbia County. The gift will deepen Bard College’s engagement with the communities of Hudson, where Bard has run an early college program since 2016, and Columbia County, both of which neighbor Bard’s Annandale-on-Hudson campus.

Established by Henry van Ameringen and T. Eric Galloway, Galvan has been a vital force in Hudson since 2002, advancing the common good through innovative community investments: developing mixed-income housing; funding and housing nonprofit organizations; as well as funding education initiatives, including the Bard Early College in Hudson. Foundation projects have revitalized key community sites and neighborhoods such as the Hudson Armory; historic Allen Street; Union Street; Warren Street; North Fifth Street, and the Hudson Depot District. Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations and county government, Galvan created and preserved spaces for essential civic institutions, including the Hudson Area Library, Hudson Senior Center, The Starting Place Daycare Center, Greater Promise Neighborhood, Camphill Hudson assisted living residences, Columbia Opportunities Head Start, Hudson Little League, Galvan Civic Motel transitional housing for families, and The Foundry at Hudson, a civic arts nonprofit in a restored historic foundry building. Bard College looks forward to developing stronger ties with the local communities of Hudson and Columbia County, including the partnerships established by the Foundation, and will honor the terms of the existing leases and contracts.

“Galvan’s commitment to the common good through place-based investment has shaped Hudson for more than two decades,” said Dan Kent, Vice President of the Foundation. “By entrusting this portfolio to Bard, we are ensuring our work will continue long into the future, confident that Bard will sustain our mission and amplify its impact.”

Founded in 1860, Bard College brings a deep institutional commitment to civic engagement and public service. The College’s Center for Civic Engagement and expansive network of community programs reflect its ethos as a private institution in the public interest.

“Bard is honored to accept this extraordinary gift and the responsibility that comes with it,” said President of Bard College Leon Botstein. “We look forward to pursuing our mission on behalf of the public good in ways that benefit the citizens of Hudson and the surrounding communities.”

The gift affirms the shared values of both institutions and establishes a strong foundation for sustained civic partnership in Hudson’s future. About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year, residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place estate, Bard’s campus consists of nearly 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in more than 40 academic programs; graduate degrees in 13 programs; eight early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 165-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at our main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.

This event was last updated on 07-07-2025

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