Donor Impact

Your Support Matters.

In our service as the Presidents of the Potsdam College Foundation and SUNY Potsdam, we’ve witnessed firsthand how time brings change on our campus. While some changes have presented challenges that we’ve faced together, others have given us reason to celebrate. The one thing that has remained constant through it all is your generosity.

Your steadfast support empowers students to succeed, explore and grow. You provide immersive experiences, create opportunities and help secure the SUNY Potsdam legacy for generations to come.

This webpage highlights the difference your contributions make — today, across our campus, and in the lives of our students. You are a vital part of SUNY Potsdam’s past, present and future.

Amy Kellogg '99
President, Potsdam College Foundation

Suzanne Smith
President, SUNY Potsdam

Your Impact

How You Give Back

Creative Transformations

Immersive experiences like studying abroad enhance the creativity of SUNY Potsdam students. 

Studying abroad is identified as a high-quality hands-on learning opportunity by SUNY. Since 2022, the percentage of SUNY Potsdam students who study abroad has increased by 5%. SUNY Potsdam ranks 10th in study abroad SUNY-wide and 6th among the comprehensive colleges. 

Gail Stradling ’64 and Dick Stradling (Hon. ’19) created the Stradling Endowment: Passport to Possibilities to provide students with travel opportunities.

With this fund, needs not covered by tuition and fees, such as transportation, passport or visa fees, and health insurance, are covered.

Thanks to donor support, including partnerships with local organizations, students gain access to transformative experiences that shape their success.

The Stewart’s Foundation is committed to supporting our students on their educational journeys, as well as creating experiences and strengthening partnerships with the surrounding community. Their generosity is enhancing ongoing programming, like Bear Pride Night, as well as kick-starting new traditions, like Sundaes with Suzanne.

Shaping Change Through Flexibility and Strength

Flexible support is one of the most powerful ways donors strengthen SUNY Potsdam. This support allows the College to respond quickly to emerging needs while also planning for the future. These gifts provide the strength and resilience that ensure Potsdam’s bright future.

• The Fund for Potsdam
  The Fund for Potsdam is made possible by annual gifts from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends. This fund provides flexible resources to meet the College’s ongoing needs and ensures students benefit from the highest quality education and experience every day.
   
• The Potsdam Promise
  The Potsdam Promise is SUNY Potsdam’s endowed fund for flexible support. By generating long-term resources, the Promise makes it possible to pursue strategic initiatives and address presidential priorities that shape the College’s future.

Flexible Support is Growing

The Raymond Legacy Society definition has recently expanded to celebrate donors who have permanently named a space on campus. Gifts received to name a physical space support the Potsdam Promise, which provides versatile support for collaborative efforts to recruit and retain students, unique educational experiences, reimagined community connections and partnerships, as well as hands-on learning, training and development of in-demand programs.

Timelines of Tomorrow

With ongoing generous support from the Arconic Foundation, SUNY Potsdam partners with local educators to meet new state STEM (fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics) standards.

These are the students of tomorrow. 

Thanks to the funding, the Surface Processes Lab in Timmerman Hall has undergone renovations and created a new Environmental Science Lab. These spaces will benefit visiting teachers and K-12 students attending field trips and educational events on campus.