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SUNY Potsdam Surpasses $40 Million Raised, Sets Sights on Most Ambitious Campaign Goal in College History

Deeply Rooted, Future Focused Campaign Aims to Raise $45 Million to Expand Student Success and Transformative Experiences

Potsdam, NY (10/24/2026) — The State University of New York at Potsdam has secured $40,146,432 in gifts and commitments toward its most ambitious fundraising campaign in College history, bringing the institution close to its $45 million goal, with nearly two years remaining.

SUNY Potsdam announced the milestone during its Legacy Celebration and Campaign Kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 24, marking the public launch of Deeply Rooted, Future Focused: The Campaign for Potsdam. With 89 percent of the goal already committed, SUNY Potsdam is now inviting alumni, friends and community members to help carry the campaign across the finish line by June 30, 2028 -- and expand the opportunities available to students for generations to come.

Learn more: Deeply Rooted, Future Focused Campaign

The campaign aims to raise the largest total in SUNY Potsdam's history -- $45 million -- by June 30, 2028. As a testament to the incredible generosity of Potsdam's supporters, officials announced at the kickoff that more than $40 million has already been committed to the effort to date.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, "SUNY Potsdam has a proud history, dedicated alumni and supporters, and a bright future that will continue to inspire students and empower them to achieve upward mobility. The fundraising campaign surpassing $40 million and the campus expanding student success initiatives are both extraordinary achievements that reinforce the enthusiasm and dedication that SUNY Potsdam alumni and the surrounding region have for this campus. I commend SUNY Potsdam on this impressive campaign and look forward to supporting ongoing efforts to ensure a strong, vibrant school for many future generations of students and alumni."

Investing in student success

Among the campaign's investments is the expansion of SUNY Potsdam's Student Success Initiative, a coordinated effort to strengthen the support students receive from their first days on campus through graduation, by enhancing the First Year Experience, expanding the campus Bridges Program and establishing a professional Advising Center.

Launched through philanthropic support from alumnus Chuck Lorre '74 and his namesake family foundation, the initiative has gained significant momentum. The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation has committed $2 million toward student success through two gifts, complemented by a $1 million matching contribution from the Potsdam College Foundation and additional support from other donors -- demonstrating how the campaign is inspiring new gifts and bringing people together to support proven programs.

A growing community of support

The $40 million campaign milestone follows three consecutive record-breaking fundraising years for SUNY Potsdam. Most recently, the Potsdam College Foundation secured more than $10 million in new gifts and commitments during the 2025-26 fiscal year, nearly 70 percent above the previous year and exceeding the College's previous annual fundraising record by more than $3.8 million.

The growth reflects not only major gifts and legacy commitments, but also broader participation. Nearly 2,800 donors supported SUNY Potsdam during the last fiscal year, an increase of 220 individuals over the previous year.

"When you talk to our alumni and donors, what comes through again and again is how much this place means to them," said Potsdam College Foundation Board President Amy Kellogg '99, who, as a significant philanthropic supporter herself, has established several scholarship and program funds at SUNY Potsdam. "We believe in our students. We believe in our faculty and staff. And we understand that their support can open doors for students today, while ensuring that SUNY Potsdam remains strong, well into the future. This campaign is an invitation to everyone who loves Potsdam to be part of what comes next."

Campaign priorities

The Student Success Initiative is just one example of how Deeply Rooted, Future Focused seeks to strengthen the College. The campaign is organized around four priorities:

  • Empowering student success: Expanding need-based and merit-based scholarships, investing in academic innovation, and strengthening the services that help students overcome challenges, persist in their studies and achieve their goals.
  • Cultivating creative experiences: Creating more opportunities for students to put their learning into practice through internships, research, study abroad, leadership development and the arts, while strengthening connections between the College and the wider community.
  • Enabling flexibility: Increasing support for the Fund for Potsdam and the Potsdam Promise, giving the College greater capacity to respond to emerging needs, invest in promising ideas and seize opportunities that benefit students.
  • Securing Potsdam's future: Growing endowed funds and legacy commitments that will provide lasting support for scholarships, programs and the distinctive experiences that define a Potsdam education.

For many donors, the value of these investments extends beyond financial support, creating meaningful connections with the students whose lives they help shape.

"Giving back has been a two-way exchange for us. We have gotten to know and mentor students following in our footsteps, as they chart their own journeys forward. Potsdam is a special place in our lives, and it is gratifying to help make that kind of formative experience possible for others," said Foundation Board Vice President Ronald Fishbeck '80, who has established scholarship endowments along with his wife, Teresa Fishbeck (Hon. '82).

A campus & community celebration

The campaign's public launch was the culmination of a week of activities celebrating SUNY Potsdam's people, history and future, including the campus Bears Block Party and a special edition of the LoKo Arts Festival of Lights extending the celebration to the community.

The festivities marked both a celebration of what has already been achieved and an invitation to participate in the work ahead. With more than $40 million committed and a $45 million goal now within reach, SUNY Potsdam is encouraging alumni, friends, families and community partners to consider the role they can play in advancing the College's next chapter.

Be part of what comes next: Learn about gift opportunities

To learn more about Deeply Rooted, Future Focused, and how to participate in the campaign, visit www.potsdam.edu/deeplyrooted.

About the Potsdam College Foundation:

Established in 1968, the Potsdam College Foundation is a nonprofit corporation charged with receiving gifts on behalf of SUNY Potsdam and stewarding the continued growth of private giving in support of the College. Its mission is to ensure a quality future for the College and its people by encouraging gifts of all types and stewarding endowments to support scholarships and campus programs. For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu/giving/pcf.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Media Attachments

The logo for the Deeply Rooted, Future Focused campaign features a silhouette of Satterlee Hall

SUNY Potsdam has launched Deeply Rooted, Future Focused: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $45 million to support transformative student experiences, strengthen programs and create opportunities for years to come.

Joyce Yianoukos smiles at students while sitting in on a class.

Joyce Barnholt Yianoukos ’71 sits in on a class with current students on Friday, Oct. 23. She and fellow alumni were on campus for the launch of Deeply Rooted, Future Focused: The Campaign for Potsdam, a $45 million effort to support student experiences and strengthen programs.

Rose Phillips shakes hands with Dr. Jan Harting McChesney.

Recent graduate Rose Phillips ’26 shakes hands with alumna Dr. Jan Harting McChesney ’74 during Potsdam Connections, a networking event at the Lougheed Learning Commons on Friday afternoon.

Wendy Wagner rests her head on the shoulder of Caroline Downing.

Wendy Wagner (Hon. ’17), left, and Dr. Caroline Downing, a professor of art at SUNY Potsdam, gather for a dinner in the Academic Quad on Friday night.

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