Charter the Future

This year’s Giving Day was a clear reminder of what makes this place special. It comes down to people who stay connected, who show up, and who care.

Throughout the day, that spirit showed up in so many ways:

🩶 Alumni who had stepped away from giving returned to support students. 

❤️ Others made gifts for the first time in years, some after 3, 10, or even 18 years, including a first-time gift from a member of the Class of 1986. 

🖤 Many donors chose to give again in honor of the day. 

🤍 Some marked the moment with gifts of $210 or by adding $210.

🩶 Amy Kellogg ’99 inspired giving across the day with her $10,000 matching gift. 

❤️ All 10 Annual Giving funds received support.

🖤 A final, generous gift from Provost, Susan Perkins helped carry us past $25,000 in total support.

Because of this community, students have access to scholarships, hands-on learning, and the everyday support that helps them move forward.

Thank you for being part of Charter the Future. Your support, your voice, and your connection to SUNY Potsdam continue to make a difference.

This is Our SUNY Potsdam.

As we make our final push, we are highlighting the Fund for Potsdam, our most flexible and accessible fund, putting gifts to work right away and circulating support across campus in service of students and community.

It strengthens the connections, spaces, and opportunities that shape daily campus life. It gives the President the flexibility to respond as needs emerge and new possibilities take shape, ensuring we can act when it matters most.

Before you scroll on, take a moment to watch the video capturing the start of this academic year. It is a reminder of who this fund serves and why your support matters now.

The Fund for Potsdam supports:

• Gatherings that bring students and leadership together and build a true sense of belonging

• Campus improvements that enhance where students learn and grow

• Technology and tools that keep our community connected and moving forward

• Outreach that helps future students choose Potsdam

As we close out this campaign, your gift to the Fund for Potsdam does more than support one program.  You help sustain a campus where students feel supported, alumni remain connected, and Potsdam continues to grow with purpose.

If you have not made your gift yet, now is the time.

If you have already given, thank you. Please consider sharing this message with a classmate, colleague, or friend and invite them to join you.

Strengthened by our roots. Focused on the future.

Support from the Fund for Math & Social Sciences helps students and faculty take part in learning experiences beyond the classroom.

During Fall 2025, nine SUNY Potsdam students and five faculty members from the Department of Mathematics attended the Mathematical Association of America Seaway Section Meeting at St. Lawrence University. 

The program included a presentation by mathematician Jeff Weeks, who introduced students to the concept of curved space through an interactive virtual reality experience called Curved Space Pool. Students also joined a Math Jeopardy competition with teams from SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University.

This experience was made possible through the Fund for Math & Social Sciences, with additional support from the Gilchrist Endowment through the Lougheed Center.

When you give to the Fund for Math & Social Sciences, you help students across math and science disciplines take part in experiences that deepen learning and spark curiosity.

Make your gift today and help create more opportunities like this for SUNY Potsdam students.

Students benefit every day from donations to the Fund for Athletics, known in Maxcy as Bear Backers.

This flexible fund is the program's go to resource. It allows Athletics to respond quickly, meet immediate needs, and create moments that bring people together across campus and in the community.

Because of donor generosity, Athletics can:

• Cover equipment repairs so teams stay prepared and competitive
• Provide giveaways and fan engagement events like Bear Pride Night
• Support outreach efforts that connect students, families, alumni, and the community

It is hard to point to just one impact because this fund touches so much. It supports the work behind the scenes and the moments out front. It keeps teams ready to compete and helps create the energy that fills Maxcy.

When you support Fund for Athletics, you are supporting more than Athletics. You are strengthening school spirit, campus pride, and the shared experiences that connect our community.

Every gift helps keep the Bears going.

Go Bears!

Your support of the Fund for Arts & Humanities helps students explore creativity, prepare for careers, and share the arts with the community.

This spring, SUNY Potsdam art education majors will welcome second graders from Potsdam Elementary School to campus for a half day art experience.

Our students will lead activities in the newly renovated Art Education classroom in Brainerd Hall. Thanks to donations to the Fund for Arts & Humanities, along with support from the Lougheed Fund, the space now includes a new ViewBoard used for teaching and demonstrations.

Experiences like this help prepare the next generation of artists and teachers while inspiring young students through the arts.

Make your gift to the Fund for Arts & Humanities today.

SUNY Potsdam geology students are building strong career pathways through field experiences, professional preparation, and a licensure qualifying degree recognized by New York State.

Donor support through the Fund for Natural Sciences helps strengthen programs across the sciences and prepares students for careers in fields like geology.

Support the Fund for Natural Sciences and help create more opportunities for science students at SUNY Potsdam.

Read the story: Rock Solid Careers

Through the Fund for Student Services, donor support strengthens the campus offices that help students thrive. From tutoring and applied learning to career development and campus life programs, this fund supports students at pivotal moments throughout their time at Potsdam.

Each year, it also provides senior student awards that recognize leadership, growth, and commitment to the campus community.

As one recipient shared, 

“Thank you for helping ease the financial burden of college. As I prepare to graduate, I am excited to carry my educational studies into my professional journey. I will always be grateful to have a home at Potsdam, where friends and strangers alike have supported me.”

Another wrote,

“Thank you for the award! I truly appreciate it especially after all my work on campus from working as a peer advisor, Campus life staff, CSTEP Intern and the many other jobs I hold on campus. It is wonderful to see them recognized!”

These seniors represent just one way the Fund for Student Services supports students. Your generosity helps students grow, lead, and reach important milestones throughout their time at Potsdam.

Gifts to the Fund for Scholarships are like the SUNY Potsdam Welcome Team on move in day.

They show up at just the right moment. They lift more than boxes. They ease the weight of a big transition.

Scholarship support does more than help with a bill. It brings confidence. It brings relief. It reminds students that someone believes in them long after move in day has passed.

Two scholarship recipients recently shared:

“Thank you for making this scholarship possible and helping me attend college. It means a great deal to me and helps cover my international tuition. I have made the President’s List every semester I have been at SUNY Potsdam.” 

— Michael C. ’26, Exercise Science

“I am deeply grateful for your belief in future educators like myself. Thank you for investing in my dreams.” 

— Isabel K., Master of Science for Teachers candidate

Your gift to the Fund for Scholarships helps students feel supported, steady, and able to focus on their goals all year long.

Crane students benefit every day from support to the Fund for the Crane School of Music.

This flexible fund allows the department to respond in real time, supporting students academically, artistically, and personally throughout the year.

Because of donor generosity, Crane can:

• Provide snacks in the lobby during finals week, offering a small moment of care during a stressful time
• Support off campus recruitment and audition travel, helping attract the next generation of Crane musicians
• Cover resources for community events such as NYSSMA, welcoming young performers and their families to campus

These are not extras. They are the details that shape the student experience. They ease pressure, expand opportunity, and strengthen connections that define a Crane education.

Support to the Fund for the Crane School of Music helps ensure the department can continue to meet students where they are, respond to opportunities as they arise, and sustain the vibrant musical community that defines the Crane experience.

Every gift helps keep the music going.

John Moran, pictured above with his family, was honored with the Secondary Education Graduate Award while completing his Master of Science for Teachers.

This award is made possible through gifts to the Fund for the School of Education & Professional Studies, part of Annual Giving.

A message from John

As if it were a hand-delivered gift at a time of highest necessity, the notification of this scholarship has refreshed and encouraged me – and will help bring financial peace to my family! 

Perhaps magnified by the unexpected nature of the scholarship, I am thankful in ways I may never be able to articulate. My wife and I decided I would leave my previous job (Director of Strategic Partnerships for a Grammy-nominated artist) to fulfill my childhood dream of teaching. 

That was a great financial risk that is made easier by gifts like these. Instead of searching for superlatives that could capture my gratitude, please accept my sincerest and humblest thank you.

For 210 years, SUNY Potsdam has opened doors for students.

Today, we’re sharing updates that show how Annual Giving supports students and strengthens programs across campus.

Department awards and key initiatives are made possible through the steady generosity of our donor community.

Throughout the day, you’ll see student stories and program highlights that reflect the real impact of flexible support.

Check back often. Read their stories. Support what matters most to you.