Penn State’s current fundraising campaign has exceeded its $2 billion goal with two months still left to go.
Top donors, university leaders, faculty and students gathered at a celebration on Friday night in the Bryce Jordan Center, where President Eric Barron revealed that $2,166,032,798 has been raised for the campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence.”
Penn State is one of only 15 universities nationwide to raise more than $1 billion in three or more campaigns, according to the university.
“Opening the doors of higher education and helping students to graduate on time and on track to success, creating the transformative experiences that help Penn Staters to become leaders, and impacting the world through research, outreach and service to communities close to home and around the globe — this is what it means to be a truly great public university,” Barron, whose eight-year tenure as Penn State president will come to an end with his retirement on May 8, said in a news release.
The campaign, which launched in 2016, concludes on June 30.
Barron’s successor, Neeli Bendapudi, was among the 1,440 people in attendance at Friday’s celebration for a campaign that has focused on fundraising for three “imperatives” identified by Barron: opening doors to a timely and affordable degree; creating transformative experiences that develop leaders; and impacting the world through research and outreach.
Highlights of the campaign have included:
• Eight-figure gifts to the the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing.
• An eight-figure commitment from Gene and Roz Chaiken that increased their ongoing scholarship support in the College of the Liberal Arts and made them the largest scholarship donors in Penn State history
• Scholarship gifts and matching funds that have created $93.3 million in endowed support to help undergraduates overcome challenges on the path to their degrees
• More than $25 million in support for Invent Penn State and other entrepreneurship initiatives
• Support for programs to foster diversity and inclusion, including a $15.5 million gift to establish the A. James Clark Scholars Program in the College of Engineering and $24 million to endow Educational Equity Scholarships.•
• Support to launch construction of the new Palmer Museum of Art at the Arboretum, along with $15 million in new art committed to the museum.
• More than $15 million in gifts from Keiko Miwa Ross for the new Palmer Museum of Art, the Arboretum, WPSU, the University Libraries and more.
• More than $160 million raised for children’s health from Children’s Miracle Network, Four Diamonds and THON and through gifts made directly to Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.
• A $25 million commitment from Highmark for research and care at Penn State Cancer Institute.
• Athletic fundraising including $41 million raised for the Football Excellence Fund; $7.5 million for a new field hockey stadium; $5.5 million for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams’ Panzer Stadium; $3.5 million for men’s and women’s basketball facilities; and $2 million for the Morgan Academic Center.
O. Richard Bundy III, vice president for development and alumni relations, said nearly 684,000 donors have contributed to the campaign.
“The impact of this campaign will be felt widely and deeply for many decades to come,” he said. “At colleges across the University and campuses across the commonwealth, Penn State supporters are ensuring that our ambition as an institution — to serve and to lead, to set a new standard for higher education — matches the ambition of our students.”
Friday’s event was one of the final public appearances for Barron and his wife, Molly, before his retirement.
“As I prepare to step down from my role as president, I am profoundly grateful for the support we have received and for the belief of our alumni and friends in Penn State’s potential for leadership,” Barron said. “The success of this campaign has given President-elect Neeli Bendapudi vital resources to take the University to even higher levels, to make us ‘A Greater Penn State.’”
