Emergency Relief Fund Started to Support Laid-Off Staff and Faculty at Hampshire College

Source: Help Hampshire Workers Emergency Relief Fund

On April 14, 2026, Hampshire College announced its closure, with most staff and faculty positions ending on June 16 and no severance provided to 250 employees. Following the announcement that Hampshire College will close, a group of staff and faculty has launched the Help Hampshire Workers Emergency Relief Fund to provide direct financial support to colleagues facing sudden job loss without severance pay. 

Nathalie Arnold Koenings, Professor of Anthropology, Literary Arts, and African Studies, and a spokesperson for the effort, reported, “The majority of us will cease to work at Hampshire in June. The administration envisages that only a slender crew will stay on through December 2026 to support senior students completing thesis projects. What you may not know is that no Hampshire College faculty or staff member will receive any severance. The creditors are too many, we are told, and there is nothing left for us.” 

The fund is a community-led effort to address immediate needs, including housing, food, healthcare, and other essential expenses. Funds raised will be distributed directly to affected staff and faculty based on need. For many staff and faculty, the impact is immediate and personal: 

“This effort came together quickly because it had to. People are losing their jobs with very little notice and no safety net. Our goal is to get support to colleagues as quickly as possible,” said Lorenzo Conte, Gallery Director, Hampshire College Art  Gallery, and another spokesperson for the fund.

For many employees, Hampshire has long been more than a workplace. 

“Like many students who found themselves at Hampshire, staff and faculty are here because we believe in fighting for the ideals of what Hampshire has always strived for. For many of us, much as for the students, Hampshire was also a refuge, a room the world had little room for,” said Griffin Leistinger, Assistant Director of Accessibility Resources and Services 

The initiative is organized by Hampshire staff and faculty, with support from alumni and community members. It operates independently and is designed to move quickly in response to urgent need. Donations are being received through a fiscal sponsor, Sundial Initiative Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, allowing contributions to be tax-deductible. 

“As a Hampshire College alum, I know firsthand the importance of Hampshire’s approach to higher education and how the wider community supports one another in times of crisis. Now it’s our turn to support the staff and faculty who made Hampshire College so unique. The need is urgent, and the time to act is now. Please give what you can,”  said Joey Carey F02, Hampshire alum, President of Sundial Initiative Inc. 

Organizers are working with community partners to finalize a distribution process to place funds in workers’ hands before their June 16 termination date. In addition to fundraising, the initiative is gathering employment leads, professional services, and other forms of support to assist those affected. 

Hampshire College may be closing, but the people who built it, cared for it, and sustained its students are still here. Staff and Faculty of Hampshire College need your support now. 

More information and donation links are available at: https://www.helphampshireworkers.com