PAUL SMITHS -- The name of Paul Smith’s College will remain the same, and a donor’s offer of $20 million to change it has been rescinded.

The college's board of trustees, President Cathy S. Dove, and donors Joan and Sandy Weill have decided that the college will not appeal a ruling earlier this month in New York State Supreme Court that the college's charter forbids changing the name of the school.

The Weills offered a $20 million donation in exchange for the school changing its name to Joan Weill-Paul Smith’s College.

"Despite our continued confidence in the merits of that proposal, we believe that an appeal would ultimately be counterproductive for students, alumni, faculty and staff," said Philip E. Saunders, chairman of the Paul Smith's College Board of Trustees.

"We are eternally grateful for the Weill's significant offer of support and interest in the college," said Dove. "Their generous offer made it clear how many people in our community are passionate about the college, and we believe that there's nothing more important now than strengthening those bonds of support."

Even though the court's decision resulted in the college not being able to accept the $20 million naming gift from the Weill family, their offer and the ensuing community discussion has resulted in others stepping forward, an announcement from the college said.

A family who the college did not identify but said has “long-standing ties to the region” pledged a "Coming Home Challenge" gift to encourage financial support from a broader number of people.

Through Dec. 31, all donations to Paul Smith's College will be matched on a variable scale from a $1 million challenge fund. The family's pledge will be renewed annually through 2019 for a total of up to $5 million, as long as the college community “shows strong participation,” Paul Smith’s said. Details can be found on the college's website.

"We believe in the lasting impact that education can have on individuals and their families, the necessity of the work that is being done at Paul Smiths College for our environment and the importance of the college to the economic viability of the Adirondack region," said a representative of the donors, who wish to remain anonymous, according to the college. The representative was also not identified in a press release from Paul Smith’s.

"Just as we experienced incredible generosity from Joan and Sandy Weill, we now have new donors stepping up to help in such a critical way," Dove said. "We have a lot of hard work to do, but I believe in our community and know that we're charting a strong future for Paul Smith's College."

The school’s website is www.paulsmiths.edu .