SUNY Oneonta raises $33.2M in latest campaign

The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
·2 min read

Oct. 3—SUNY Oneonta announced Tuesday, Oct. 3 that a fundraising campaign which ended June 30 raised more than $33.2 million.

The campaign, titled "Grow. Thrive. Live. The Future of SUNY Oneonta," is the most successful fundraising effort in university history, according to a news release.

The donations go toward new and expanded funding for student scholarships and program support.

The campaign launched publicly in January 2020 with a goal of raising $25 million.

This original goal was surpassed 15 months ahead of schedule after more than 10,000 donors gave gifts, grants, pledges and estate-planning commitments, the release stated.

The campaign's largest commitment was more than $1 million while 34,407 gifts of $100 or less, the release stated. SUNY Oneonta alumni from eight different decades supported the campaign, along with donors from all 50 states and seven countries.

Paul Adamo, vice president for university advancement and executive director of the SUNY Oneonta Foundation, said in a statement that the initial $25 million goal and three additional stretch goals were chosen to raise maximum support for SUNY Oneonta students and institutional programs.

The campaign was announced publicly two months before the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States.

School leaders temporarily shifted the campaign's fundraising focus to the university's Student Emergency Fund, which helped to ensure that $50,000 annually was provided to support students facing unforeseen emergencies.

SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle said in a statement that the fund "provides critical support to students who may have otherwise been prevented from completing their education by unexpected financial hardship," which could include the threat of eviction, medical emergencies, loss of employment, food insecurity and transportation needs.

Since the fund's inception in 2018, more than 400 students have received emergency funding totaling more than $365,000, according to the news release.

"Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we can now ensure that funding will be available for students in perpetuity," Cardelle said.