UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is spreading the word to its alumni and friends about their chance to participate in the college's Giving Tuesday program, a special day of giving on Tuesday, Nov. 29, when the college will call for support for its student scholarship fund and 4-H youth programs.
A global day of giving fueled by the power of social media, #GivingTuesday occurs on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The holiday encourages the public to celebrate by making online donations to their favorite charitable projects.
On Nov. 29, the College of Agricultural Sciences will take part in two Giving Tuesday fundraising challenges to raise money for the college's Ag Alumni Trustee Matching Scholarship program and for the Pennsylvania 4-H Annual Fund. Supporters can easily give any dollar amount by visiting http://giveto.psu.edu/GivingTuesday on Nov. 29, as well as share their experiences online using #psugivingtue and @agsciences on social media.
Those interested in contributing can learn more about Penn State's involvement in Giving Tuesday at http://giveto.psu.edu/GivingTuesday, where online donations can be made to the College of Agricultural Sciences' funds on Nov. 29. To learn about the reasons individuals have donated to the College of Agricultural Sciences in the past, read the college's "Why We Give" stories.
The college is encouraging alumni, students, family, faculty, staff, industry and community partners, and all other friends of agriculture and 4-H youth programs to take advantage of the opportunity to support these two special initiatives:
The College of Agricultural Sciences Challenge for the Alumni Trustee Matching Scholarship
Goals: $10,000 and 150 donors
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is dedicated to finding safe, healthy and sustainable ways to supply the food, fiber and fuel the world needs. The college's goal is to foster a diverse population of future leaders by extending the advantages of an education in the agricultural sciences to all students. The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program maximizes the impact of private gifts while directing funds to students as quickly as possible, meeting the urgent need for scholarship support. This fund was created in 2014 with a pledge of $100,000, which has been fully funded and endowed, and the Ag Alumni Society pledged an additional $100,000 in 2016. Last year, the Alumni Society's scholarship endowments provided more than $45,000 in assistance to 26 students.
The Penn State Extension Challenge for the Pennsylvania 4-H Annual Fund
Goals: $2,500 and 100 donors
Pennsylvania 4-H programs are making a positive impact on young people by building skills and by encouraging education and a commitment to the four Hs — head, heart, hands and health — in your town, your county and your state. The 4-H general fund is used to support activities including the 4-H State Leadership Conference, 4-H Capital Days, 4-H State Achievement Days and 4-H State Council Officers. The fund also raises support for youth who would like to attend a program but may not have the financial resources to do so. Pennsylvania 4-H reaches more than 170,000 young people in cities, towns and rural areas across the state. Gifts help 4-H participants to become better citizens and to master skills and knowledge in 4-H program topics such as science, technology, engineering and healthy living.