UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The University asked the Penn State community to show its Penn State pride during #GivingTuesday 2017, a national day to celebrate the power of giving back, and Penn Staters responded loudly and clearly with their support. On Nov. 27 and 28, alumni, friends, parents, fans and students gave a total of $964,612 to areas across the University. With a one-day University match offered to inspire gifts from graduates of the last decade (GOLD), the total impact of this year’s event surpassed $1 million.
“The University offers many thanks to every Penn Stater who made a gift on #GivingTuesday, helping to support the students, faculty and programs that matter most to them,” said O. Richard Bundy III, vice president for development and alumni relations. “Not only will these gifts help to make Penn State an even greater university, but they also show what our community is capable of achieving when we all act together.”
While the 4,354 gifts made on Nov. 27 and 28 benefited a range of initiatives across the University, 27 units saw a particularly significant impact as a result of special #GivingTuesday challenges to support causes within their units.
Participation in the challenges was strong among young alumni. Graduates of the last decade who supported a challenge with a gift of $10 or more unlocked an additional $100 contribution from Penn State. With the University match, more than 560 GOLD donors helped to push the total event impact beyond the $1 million mark.
Eleven Penn State student groups at the University Park campus engaged in fundraising efforts to support their organizations, together raising more than $4,500 from 230 donors. By earning the most support, in terms of dollars raised and number of gifts, Club Gymnastics and Colleges Against Cancer each earned an additional $1,000 from the University.
Penn Staters shared updates throughout the day on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the official hashtag, #PSUGivingTue.
“Many Penn State students, faculty and programs will have critical resources thanks to the generosity we saw on #GivingTuesday 2017,” said Jenny Daigle Benoit, Penn State’s executive director for annual giving. “The tremendous support raised this year demonstrates the commitment Penn Staters have to each other and to our University. For me, this is what it means to be Penn State proud.”
Gifts from Penn State's alumni and friends have been essential to the success of the University's historic land-grant mission to serve the public good. To fulfill that mission for a new era of rapid change and global connections, the University has begun A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence, a fast-paced campaign focused on the three key imperatives of a public university: Private support will keep the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; create transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impact the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more, visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.