Impact

#GivingTuesday raises more than $296,000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Dec. 1, the University asked the Penn State community to “raise their voices” in support of #GivingTuesday, a global day of impact, and Penn Staters responded loudly and clearly with their support. Students, alumni, parents, friends and fans gave a total of $296,727 to areas across the University, more than doubling last year’s total.

“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 Rod Kirsch, senior vice president for development and alumni relations. “Not only will these gifts help to make Penn State an even stronger university, but they also show what our community is capable of achieving when we all act together.”

This was the second year that Penn State participated in #GivingTuesday, a giving holiday celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving by nonprofit organizations and their supporters. The University asked members of the Penn State community to use this day as an opportunity to make a gift of any size to any area of the University, in order to channel the philanthropic spirit of the Penn State family.

While the 1,376 gifts made on Dec. 1 benefited a range of initiatives across the University, three units saw a particularly significant impact as a result of special, daylong fundraising challenges:

  • The University Libraries raised $31,807 to purchase textbooks that will be available for use by all Penn State students. Gifts from individual supporters were matched by the Penn State Bookstore, managed by Barnes and Noble; Shipley Energy; and the Penn State University Press.
  • Penn State Mont Alto raised $12,571 to provide resources and facilities to students in the campus’ 12 varsity sports programs and the Cheerleading Club. Gifts from individual donors were matched by two donor couples, Craig and Page Nitterhouse and Matt and Tana Oyer.
  • In Intercollegiate Athletics, Nittany Lions fans helped to provide opportunities for Penn State student-athletes through 305 gifts to the Levi Lamb and Bridge to the Future funds, and student-athletes and staff contributed more than 100 hours of community service to local nonprofits.
  • Penn State students contributed more than $1,800 to support areas across the University, with both Alcoa and Pepsi offering matches for student gifts.

As part of the #GivingTuesday celebration, Penn State student groups promoted their own philanthropic engagement and called on the broader student body to join one of Penn State’s many philanthropic organizations. Penn Staters also shared updates throughout the day on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the official hashtag, #PSUGivingTue.

The aim of Penn State’s participation in #GivingTuesday was to achieve widespread participation across the Penn State community, in addition to raising a significant sum at the end of the day.

“In their broad support for #GivingTuesday, our students, graduates, faculty, staff, and friends have given us yet another reason to be Penn State proud,” said Kirsch. “During this season of gratitude and giving, I’m thankful to be part of a community where the spirit of philanthropy is so alive and well.”

Penn State supporters are invaluable partners in fulfilling the University’s land-grant mission of education, research and service. Private gifts from members of the Penn State community enrich the experiences of students both in and out of the classroom, expand the research and teaching capacity of our faculty, enhance the University's ability to recruit and retain top students and faculty, and help to ensure that students from every economic background have access to a Penn State education. The University's colleges and campuses are now enlisting the support of alumni and friends to advance a range of unit-specific initiatives.

For more information on #GivingTuesday or to inquire about a matching challenge for 2016, please contact Jessica Peters at jessica@psu.edu or 814-867-4124.

Last Updated January 26, 2016

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