MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Penn State Harrisburg has raised $44.9 million and helped the University to achieve record-breaking success in its recently concluded campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence.” June 30 marked the end of both the most successful campaign and the most successful fundraising year in the institution’s history.
Harrisburg’s total is a new record for the college in a campaign. The most recent fiscal year was the second most successful fundraising year in the college’s history (with the first coming earlier in the campaign). Gifts from over 4,900 alumni, friends, corporate partners and others will be assisting Penn State Harrisburg in its mission to provide an integrated and responsive approach to society’s evolving needs.
“Penn State Harrisburg has received a historic level of philanthropic support during this campaign,” said Chancellor John M. Mason. “This collective generosity will have a long-lasting impact on the future of the college and its most important stakeholders — our students. On behalf of the entire Penn State Harrisburg community, I express our deepest gratitude to the many individuals and organizations who have enabled access to academic excellence at our campus for many years to come.”
The campaign, which began in 2016, was focused on the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. At Penn State Harrisburg, the impact to the college continues to be substantial, advancing key institutional priorities. A few highlights included:
- $12.5 million raised for new undergraduate and graduate scholarships. Donors committed additional funds for Harrisburg students, which included co-investments from the University’s scholarship matching programs: matching funds from the University included $2.4 million through the Open Doors Matching Program and $550,000 through the Educational Equity Scholarship Matching Program.
- $2.5 million to establish the Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research, which is addressing the many issues related to substance use disorder by partnering with community-based organizations.
- Over $1 million raised for the Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre and Kulkarni Cultural Series on campus, in honor of the college’s former chancellor.
- More than $2 million raised for the Madlyn L. Hanes Library on campus. The building was named in honor of the college’s former chancellor and retired vice president for commonwealth campuses whose career spanned 33 years at the University.
- Almost $27 million in additional philanthropy to enhance facilities, classroom instruction, research, outreach and student life.
“We are grateful for the support from so many donors who embraced the priorities of this campaign. The new funds generated enhance access to a college degree, provide expanded opportunities for students and faculty, and impact our community in a number of initiatives, including addiction prevention and economic development,” said Campaign Chair Rick Barger, a 1971 alumnus of Penn State Harrisburg.
With the record-breaking success of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which raised $2.2 billion from 2016 to 2022, philanthropy is helping to sustain the University’s tradition of education, research and service to communities across the commonwealth and around the globe. Scholarships enable our institution to open doors and welcome students from every background, support for transformative experiences allows our students and faculty to fulfill their vast potential for leadership, and gifts toward discovery and excellence help us to serve and impact the world we share. To learn more about the impact of giving and the continuing need for support, please visit raise.psu.edu.
