Once again, generous Penn Staters pooled together this fall to provide record-setting funding for more than 100 university initiatives.
As part of this year’s GivingTuesday campaign, Penn State raised more than $1.25 million to support dozens of campaigns that will contribute to student success across the university’s campuses, including scholarships, programs and organizations. Nearly 11,000 donors contributed to the fundraiser, marking a university record since it began participating in GivingTuesday eight years ago.
“Worldwide, GivingTuesday asks individuals to support the organizations they value most, and it’s inspiring to see our University community consistently choose to include Penn State in that category,” said O. Richard Bundy III, Penn State’s vice president for development and alumni relations. “Year after year, nothing proves the collective power and ambition of Penn Staters like this event.”
In total, 13,170 gifts benefited 150 participating campaigns in Penn State’s GivingTuesday drive. The university received gifts from 48 states and 19 different countries, according to a press release.
Additionally, 377 donors stepped up as “champions” by creating personal fundraising pages that garnered additional support for their campaigns of choice. Those efforts brought in 537 gifts and raised nearly $32,000, Penn State said.
Ninety-seven donors combined to contribute $59,320 toward the Dickinson Law Future Fund, representing the largest gain of any participating campaign. The Blue Band Legacy fund, which supports the long-term financial needs of Penn State’s marching band, led the way with 236 contributing gifts.
A record-setting 35 student organizations participated in this year’s GivingTuesday fundraiser. In total, those groups raised nearly $121,000 thanks to 1,586 individual gifts. The Skull & Bones Senior Honor Society and Penn State Club Crew respectively garnered the most financial support and the highest number of individual donations.
In a statement, Penn State officials said the university’s record-setting GivingTuesday campaign reflects the community’s selfless spirit.
“Our University thrives and grows because our alumni and friends choose to invest in the Penn State community,” said Jenny Daigle Benoit, Penn State’s executive director of annual giving. “Every gift made on GivingTuesday is a vote of confidence in what’s possible for our students, and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together in the year to come.”
While $1.25 million is a relatively small drop in Penn State’s ever-growing philanthropy bucket, this year’s campaign notably follows a strong half-decade of university fundraising. Penn State’s “A Greater Penn State” initiative raised nearly $2.2 billion between 2016 and 2022 to support student scholarships, new buildings on campuses, community outreach programs and more.
Since 2012, GivingTuesday has encouraged philanthropic efforts across the globe via 24-hour fundraisers that arrive annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The initiative is supported by an independent nonprofit of the same name.
