UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Class Gift Campaign executive committee announced today (April 26) a new partnership with the Penn State Alumni Association, which has committed up to $200,000 to match contributions from seniors to this year’s gift, the 2016 Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) endowment. The Alumni Association’s commitment is the largest in the history of Penn State’s Class Gift program.
“The legacy our students have created at Penn State through the impact of the class gift stands for generations,” said Paul J. Clifford, chief executive officer of the Penn State Alumni Association. “Our volunteer leaders were inspired by this year’s decision by seniors to fund a crucial resource like CAPS. We wanted to ensure a base of funding that would not only provide needed help but also highlight to the graduating class that giving back starts with their alumni family.”
Ramon Guzman Jr., the executive director for the 2016 Class Gift Campaign, was delighted by this challenge for graduating seniors. “We are so thankful for this generous gesture by the Alumni Association. This gift shows how strong the Penn State community really is, and I have no doubt it will inspire students to support this cause in even greater numbers. My hope is that seniors see the potential in making a gift to the endowment to ensure that all $200,000 are matched.”
Currently, the Class Gift Campaign has raised just over $125,000 in support of CAPS, leaving a remaining $75,000 in unmatched funds.
For the first year after the endowment is created, its proceeds will extend support from Rod and Mitch Kirsch to embed a counselor in one of Penn State’s residence halls. If the full match from the Alumni Association is met — and the CAPS endowment reaches $400,000 — it will thereafter provide $18,000 each year in discretionary funds to CAPS, an impact that will continue in perpetuity.
Gifts from students graduating in May or December of 2016 are eligible for the match, and students are encouraged to support the campaign at www.classgift.psu.edu.
For questions or comments on the campaign or the matching challenge, please contact Class Gift Campaign adviser Geoff Hallett, at advisor@psuclassgift.org, or Alumni Association Director of Development Amber Krieg, at adk5@psu.edu.