College Continues Philanthropy Week Tradition

11/08/2016 

As SUNY Cortland gears up for Saturday’s Cortaca Jug game, students, staff and alumni are all hoping for a big win.

At the same time, the College is once again celebrating Philanthropy Week, encouraging practices in which everybody wins.

Philanthropy Week events, featuring giveaways for students and information on how they can give back to important causes, help to educate students on the importance of philanthropy and celebrate the many individuals across the nation who choose to make contributions to important causes — like affordable, quality higher education.

Events on the SUNY Cortland campus began Monday, Nov. 7 and will run through Friday, Nov. 11.

Philanthropy Week is a time set aside every year to honor the great work done by generous people all across the country, said Erin Boylan, the interim director of The Cortland Fund, the College’s annual giving program, which benefits students directly with the money it raises.

“The impact that philanthropists have on society is more significant than could ever be measured, and we want to ensure students understand that impact,” Boylan said. “At SUNY Cortland, donations affect every facet of the academic experience and make a daily difference.”

“The week also lets us highlight all the great things our alumni do in return for the great education they received, whether it’s to establish a scholarship or make their annual contributions to The Cortland Fund,” Boylan said.

This is the third year that organizers of Philanthropy Week have devoted five full days instead of three to the enterprise, said Natasha McFadden, assistant director of The Cortland Fund.

“This week is all about teaching our students why philanthropy is so important and what it means to be an impactful philanthropist,” she said.

The effort emphasizes “the difference that our supporters make at SUNY Cortland with each and every contribution, and how gifts of all sizes can add up and have amazing results at the College,” McFadden said.

College students and staff members will be available to offer their insights into ways people give back to SUNY Cortland from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at tables located in the Student Life Center lobby Tuesday and Friday and on the ground floor of Neubig Hall Wednesday and Thursday.

At those sessions, members of SPARK, SUNY Cortland’s student alumni association, will host a variety of games in which prizes will be offered. Additionally, students will be asked to write their statements of thanks to SUNY Cortland donors. The statements will be compiled in a video and shared with donors during the week of Thanksgiving.

Students also are invited to keep up by tagging tweets and posting images about why they appreciate the College’s supporters with the #CortlandGives hashtag.

“We’ll share your statement of thanks with SUNY Cortland donors — plus, the student with the best post will win a $50 ASC Gift Card,” McFadden said.

“We hope that sharing the impact of our current supporters will inspire the next generation of donors,” Boylan said. “Our wish is that our students will remember that many are giving now to their education and that the students will choose to ‘pay it forward’ when they graduate.”

For more information, contact McFadden at 607-753-4910 or natasha.mcfadden@cortland.edu.