SUNY Fredonia is pleased to announce it surpassed its donor goals during its annual “Day of Giving” on April 3.
Alumni, parents, faculty and staff, students, and friends of the university made gifts to the areas of campus most meaningful to them. In total, 592 donors contributed nearly $64,000 to support the student experience at Fredonia. 42% of donors were Fredonia alumni. Contributions for the 24-hour event were received from 27 different states.
“On behalf of the Fredonia College Foundation, I express my sincere thanks to our alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends who made our annual Day of Giving an overwhelming success,” said Karen Rohr, who is Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the Fredonia College Foundation. “When Blue Devils come together, they change lives. Your gift, when combined with those of others, makes an impactful contribution to our community and the student experience.”
Supporting academic excellence
Fredonia donors supported six main university designations. Fifty-five donors contributed over $10,000 to support the “areas of greatest need.” This unrestricted fund supports areas of greatest need, providing the flexibility to meet the continually evolving needs of the Big Blue community. Gifts to the fund have an immediate impact, enabling the university to quickly support student projects and initiatives, critical financial needs and unforeseen challenges, and new opportunities to strengthen the Fredonia educational experience.
Each of Fredonia’s four schools/colleges received gifts. Donations to the School of Music enable Fredonia to attract and retain future generations of talented musicians and music educators. Gifts made to the College of Education, Health Sciences and Human Services support the priority needs including upgraded technology and equipment. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences uses designated gifts for scholarships that recruit and retain talented students and make the dream of higher education a reality. Donations to the School of Business expose students to the latest technology, global and cultural components of business, and provide them with experiential learning and practical internship opportunities. Over $12,000 was donated by generous Fredonia boosters for these academic areas.
Student-athletes win big
Competition among Fredonia’s athletics programs led to a grand total of over $34,000 to support the student-athlete experience.
“The Department of Athletics would like to thank each and every person that gave to help make the Day of Giving a tremendous success for Fredonia State Athletics,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation Jerry Fisk. “The response was fantastic and Blue Devil student-athletes will benefit from the generosity of our donors. Athletics would also like to thank the staff of the [Fredonia College] foundation for the work they did behind the scenes to make the day so successful.”
Scholarship opportunities
The Fredonia College Foundation is the steward of the gifts collected on Day of Giving and all throughout the year. The foundation, which was established in 1964, has worked with alumni and friends to build 570 endowment funds with a total endowment value of $43 million. Endowed scholarship funds help increase access to a SUNY Fredonia education by allowing students to pursue their educational goals unimpeded by financial stressors.
The foundation utilized a new platform to support its Day of Giving efforts, and Ms. Rohr said the success of this year’s Day of Giving is just the start of stronger fundraising efforts moving forward. “Thank you to everyone who participated in Day of Giving, and if you have not had an opportunity to make a gift, it's not too late.” To make a donation, visit.
