The College of New Rochelle

What The College of New Rochelle does

The College of New Rochelle (CNR) was a private, nonprofit Catholic women's college founded in 1904 in New Rochelle, New York as the first Catholic women's college in New York State. Operated under Ursuline sponsorship, the college ran four schools — Arts and Sciences (SAS), New Resources (SNR), Nursing (SN), and a Graduate School (GS) — at its peak in the late 20th century, with Sister Dorothy Ann Kelly, OSU serving as President from 1972 to 1997 and leading multi-campus expansion. CNR closed in 2019 following a financial crisis, and Mercy University (then Mercy College) assumed responsibility for the CNR alumni community, establishing the CNR Alumni Legacy Association within Mercy's alumni relations infrastructure.

Today, the CNR Alumni Legacy Association serves roughly 38,000 CNR alumni (and integrates them into Mercy's broader 70,000+ graduate network) from Mercy's Dobbs Ferry headquarters and Moller House in Tarrytown, which houses the CNR Legacy Room archives. Service delivery relies on standard, non-proprietary technology: Parchment for transcript ordering ($9.99 electronic PDF, $14.99-$62.49 printed variants), Mercy Link for networking and mentorship (launched October 2024), the mercy.pbc.guru virtual book club platform, and Mercy's website and CRM. There are no proprietary technology products, no AI components, and no app platform.

The business model is a nonprofit alumni-relations and fundraising model, not a commercial revenue model. Income is generated through (a) alumni donations channeled into the CNR Legacy Scholarship and CNR Serviam Endowed Scholarship Fund, (b) modest transactional fees for transcripts, diplomas, and alumni ID cards, and (c) registration fees for reunions, the Alumni of Distinction Awards ($60), and class-specific events ($50-$55 per attendee). Strategic go-to-market is community-led: an active CNR Legacy Council runs six committees (Service and Community Outreach, Networking and Career Development, Programming for Lifelong Learning, Reunions, Communications, and the CNR Legacy Scholarship Fund) and reaches alumni via quarterly e-newsletters, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, regional events, and discount partnerships with Alamo/Avis/Enterprise, Liberty Mutual, Applebee's, and Plum Benefits.

Name

The College of New Rochelle

Legal name

The College of New Rochelle

Website

https://cnralumni.mercy.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The College of New Rochelle was a private Catholic women's college founded in 1904 that closed in 2019. The CNR Alumni Legacy Association, now operated by Mercy University, serves 38,000 former students via scholarships, alumni services, and heritage programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alumni Association Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDALAOAG

Alumni Events, Reunions & Regional Chapters

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Alumni Relations, Development & Campus Community Engagement

SECONDARYEDALAOAC

Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Alumni Relations, Development & Campus Community Engagement

SECONDARYEDALAOAF

Alumni Communications, Marketing & Publications

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Alumni Relations, Development & Campus Community Engagement

Keywords

• Alumni association services
• Transcript ordering services
• Scholarship fund management
• Alumni networking events
• Higher education legacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Dobbs Ferry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Alumni Donations and Scholarships: The organization generates revenue through alumni donations directed to scholarship funds including the CNR Serviam Endowed Scholarship and CNR Legacy Scholarship. These funds support Mercy University students who demonstrate financial need and commitment to community service.
2. Graduate Program Scholarships: Mercy University and CNR offer a Mercy/CNR Alumni Assistance Scholarship - a one-time $1,000 scholarship for undergraduate alumni enrolling in graduate programs for the first time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The College of New Rochelle was a private Catholic women's college founded in 1904 that closed in 2019. Following closure, the CNR Alumni Legacy Association, now operated under Mercy University's infrastructure, delivers alumni services including transcript and diploma ordering, alumni ID cards granting library access, scholarship administration (CNR Legacy Scholarship and CNR Serviam Endowed Scholarship), lifelong learning programs, reunions, and networking opportunities to approximately 38,000 former students.

Product overview

The College of New Rochelle (CNR) was a Catholic women's college in New Rochelle, NY that closed in 2019. CNR alumni services are now provided through Mercy University, including transcript ordering via Parchment, alumni ID cards for library access, scholarship programs (CNR Legacy Scholarship, CNR Serviam Endowed Scholarship), lifelong learning programs (Sr. Dorothy Ann Kelly Lifelong Enrichment Series), alumni networking events, and various discount programs with external partners. No standalone CNR-branded product platform exists; services are delivered through Mercy University's alumni infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Official CNR Transcript Ordering Service Service enabling CNR alumni to order official academic transcripts via Parchment with options for electronic PDF delivery ($9.99), USPS mail ($14.99 domestic, $17.49 international), FedEx expedited ($37.49 domestic, $62.49 international), or campus pickup at Mercy Hall Dobbs Ferry ($14.99).
• CNR Alumni ID Card Identification card for CNR alumni that grants access to all Mercy University Libraries and serves as credentials for accessing alumni discount programs.
• Mercy Link Alumni Networking Platform Online community launched in October 2024 enabling CNR and Mercy alumni to mentor Mercy students, identify job opportunities, network through virtual interest groups, and access career support services.
• CNR Serviam Endowed Scholarship Fund Endowed scholarship fund launched in 2024 supporting Mercy University students who demonstrate financial need and commitment to community service. Campaign goal is $1 million over seven years; raised $109,000+ within four months, exceeding the $100,000 first-year goal.
• CNR Legacy Scholarship Scholarship program funded by alumni donations supporting Mercy University students, particularly those from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester County, Long Island and New Jersey. Since 2019, 29 students have been awarded scholarships totaling over $100,000 in support, pursuing majors including nursing, computer science, psychology, criminal justice, health sciences, design and animation, biology, and vet-tech.
• Mercy/CNR Alumni Assistance Scholarship One-time $1,000 scholarship offered by Mercy University and CNR for undergraduate alumni enrolling in graduate programs for the first time.
• Alumni Reunion Events and Champagne Brunches Reunion events including the Alumni of Distinction Awards ($60 registration), CNR Alumni Champagne Brunch ($55 per person for alumni in classes ending in 0s and 5s), and Class of 1975 Dinner at Moller House ($50 per person). Events held at Moller House and Mercy University campuses.
• Alumni Diploma Replacement Service Service enabling CNR alumni to request replacement diplomas through Mercy University's alumni infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 38,000 CNR alumni transitioned to Mercy University following CNR's closure in 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mercy University (formerly Mercy College)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Following CNR's closure in 2019, Mercy College (now Mercy University) graciously offered to take responsibility for the CNR Alumni community. Mercy provides infrastructure including alumni services, scholarships (CNR Legacy Scholarship and Serviam Endowed Scholarship Fund), office space at Moller House, and integration of CNR alumni into the broader Mercy alumni network of 70,000+ graduates. Mercy University President Susan L. Parish has expressed commitment to preserving the CNR legacy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Manhattan College: A Catholic Lasallian institution in Riverdale, NY, with a more established alumni association operating in the same regional Catholic higher-education ecosystem. It serves as a broader-incumbent comparison point for alumni engagement depth, scholarship structures, and donor pipeline practices.
• Fordham University Alumni Relations: A large Catholic (Jesuit) university in New York with a significantly more developed alumni network, scholarship infrastructure, and reunion programming. Comparable in mission alignment and Catholic-identity donor appeal, though at much greater scale than CNR's program.
• Georgetown University Alumni Association: A leading Catholic (Jesuit) university with one of the most sophisticated alumni associations globally. While much larger, it illustrates the upper-bound operating model for a Catholic-institution alumni program with chapters, lifelong learning, and major-gift fundraising capabilities.
• Notre Dame Alumni Association: The alumni association of a premier Catholic research university, representing one of the most engaged donor and event constituencies among U.S. Catholic institutions. Its programming provides a benchmark for the aspirational ceiling of what a Catholic alumni program can scale to in terms of donor engagement and scholarship endowments.
• Seton Hall University Alumni: A Catholic (Diocesan) university in New Jersey with a comparable regional alumni base in the New York metropolitan area. Its alumni programming model (chapters, regional events, scholarships) mirrors structures relevant to CNR's engagement approach.
• Villanova University Alumni Association: A Catholic (Augustinian) university with a robust alumni network featuring regional chapters, signature events, and career networking platforms. It mirrors the structural elements (chapter-based engagement, scholarship funds, lifelong learning) relevant to evaluating CNR's programmatic model at greater scale.

Direct peers

• Mercy University: Mercy University is the host institution that absorbed the CNR Alumni Legacy Association in 2019, providing infrastructure, scholarships, office space, and integration into a 70,000+ graduate network. It is the most directly comparable entity because it operates the CNR alumni program as a constituent function within its broader alumni relations operation.
• Marymount Manhattan College: A small Catholic-affiliated liberal arts college in New York City with an alumni relations operation serving a similar-sized graduate base. Its programming (events, networking, library access, donor engagement) is directly comparable in scale and structure to CNR's alumni program.
• College of Saint Elizabeth: A former Catholic women's college in New Jersey that closed and transitioned its academic programs to the University of Saint Elizabeth. Its alumni association maintains a parallel legacy-preservation function, making it a close analogue to CNR's post-closure model.
• College of Mount Saint Vincent: A Catholic women's college in Riverdale, NY, with a comparable mission of educating women in the Ursuline tradition. Its alumni association operates with similar programming (transcripts, networking, events) and faces parallel challenges of sustaining engagement for a smaller, specialized institution in the Northeast.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CNR1904
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/1800mercyny
• Facebookfacebook.com/cnr.alum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-college-of-new-rochelle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The College of New Rochelle