POULTNEY, Vt., Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Entrepreneur and preservationist Raj Peter Bhakta, owner of the iconic former Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont, is offering "The Gift" — a donation of select campus buildings and surrounding land to a qualified Catholic mission-based organization. This extraordinary, once-a-century opportunity is now open through a public Request for Proposals (RFP).

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Estimated to be worth in excess of $20 million in value by prior Maltz Auctions assessments, the offered properties present a rare chance to repurpose a historically rich, aesthetically beautiful, and strategically located campus for meaningful Catholic mission, education, and service. Green Mountain College was originally founded in 1834 as a Methodist institution; The Gift will return this singular site to its original Christian calling.

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"This gift is about stewardship," said Bhakta. "The Green Mountain College campus is a magnificent resource, and I am seeking a Catholic organization with the vision and capability to use it for good — to serve people, purpose, and faith."

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About The Gift
The Gift includes several of the most prominent and usable assets of the Green Mountain College campus:

• Withey Hall | Office and administrative building with a commercial kitchen and dining hall, including expansive public gathering spaces
• The Griswold Library | a multi-level, spacious, and light-filled academic resource center
• Sage and Lyman Hall | two recently renovated dormitories consisting of 54+ rooms combined
• Waldron Gymnasium | a substantial athletics center complete with an indoor swimming pool, exercise gym, locker rooms, and indoor basketball court with retractable bleachers
• Green spaces and land | including open quad areas, outdoor gathering spots, pristine river frontage, and pedestrian pathways

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The donation also includes necessary access and circulation areas to ensure independent use and functional access.

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Ideal Reuse Scenarios
Bhakta envisions the property being used for:

• Catholic education — satellite campuses, academic programs, or classical schools
• Retreats and formation programs — youth, family, or clergy retreats
• Mission centers — housing Catholic outreach, arts, or cultural initiatives

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Located in the scenic village of Poultney near the New York–Vermont border, the 155-acre campus includes nearly a mile of river frontage, with classic brick buildings and open-air quads ideal for institutional and community life.

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Preferred Recipient
The donor seeks to identify a Catholic mission-based organization with demonstrated leadership, vision, and long-term operational capacity who can support operating and maintenance expenses of minimum $1.5mm per year. Eligible entities may include:

• Dioceses
• Religious orders
• Catholic colleges, universities, or seminaries
• Faith-based nonprofits or apostolates
• Organizations with capacity for site maintenance, programming, and public benefit

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How to Apply
Interested organizations should submit proposals via https://giftacollegecampus.com. This RFP portal includes detailed site information, FAQs, images, and submission instructions. Deadline for initial expressions of interest is March 31, 2025.

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"This is not just a gift of architecturally remarkable buildings — or even of an historic, singular, campus site originally founded for Christian purpose nearly two centuries ago," Bhakta said. "It's a gift of opportunity — the chance to revive a campus for mission, formation, and future generations of the Catholic Church."