UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s eighth GivingTuesday event, which culminated on Tuesday, Nov. 29, continued a new University tradition of generosity—and set new records along the way. In the largest show of support to date, 10,746 alumni, faculty, staff, students and families collectively made 13,170 gifts, helping to raise over $1.25 million for 150 participating campaigns.
“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, vice president for development and alumni relations. “Year after year, nothing proves the collective power and ambition of Penn Staters like this event.”
Gifts made during GivingTuesday came from alumni and friends in 48 states and 19 countries. For the first time, 377 individuals stepped up to become champions, creating personal fundraising pages to drive additional support for their campaign of choice. This donor-driven effort resulted in 537 gifts and $31,670 of the overall event total.
Dickinson Law raised the most support of all participating campaigns, with 97 donors contributing $59,320 to support the Dickinson Law Future Fund. Top performing campaigns as measured by the number of gifts received include the Blue Band’s campaign to support the Blue Band Legacy Fund (236 gifts), the Penn State Alumni Association’s drive to raise money for Blue & White Society memberships (223) and the University Libraries Student Wellness Fund (196).
A record number of participating student organizations helped to drive this year’s event to new heights. In total, 35 student groups raised $120,849 from 1,586 gifts, with the Skull & Bones Senior Honor Society bringing the highest number of contributions and Penn State Club Crew raising the most support of all student-led campaigns. “It’s an honor to engage with alumni and friends in service of improving the student experience through GivingTuesday,” said Emma Pulkowski, philanthropy coordinator for the Student Philanthropy Network. “This event not only gives us a chance to develop our skills as communicators and fundraisers, it gives us a voice in helping to create the future we want for Penn State.”
Jenny Daigle Benoit, executive director of annual giving, reflected on the role of GivingTuesday in shaping what’s ahead for 2023. “Our University thrives and grows because our alumni and friends choose to invest in the Penn State community. 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.”
With the record-breaking success of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which raised $2.2 billion from 2016 to 2022, philanthropy is helping to sustain the University’s mission of education, research and service to communities across the commonwealth and around the globe. Scholarships enable Penn State to open doors and welcome students from every background, support for transformative experiences allows students and faculty to fulfill their vast potential for leadership, and gifts toward discovery and excellence help serve and impact the world. To learn more about the impact of giving and the continuing need for support, please visit raise.psu.edu.