Successful Fundraising are redoubling our efforts to raise more scholar“ We ship funds to better support our students and their life goals, so we as a learning institution can deliver on our promise to society to develop an educated citizenry…who are lifelong learners committed to improving our world.”
— President Deborah F. Stanley, 2019 in announcing The Path Forward campaign
When Deborah F. Stanley became interim president in 1995, New York state had tightened the budgets for SUNY campuses, and many SUNY schools turned to tuition revenue via larger enrollments to balance their budgets. But not SUNY Oswego.
boards. She saw the benefit in leveraging the expertise and resources of the thousands of Laker alumni to maximize the college’s impact on students and in the world. The strategy paid off. Over the past 26 years, she created a culture of philanthropy on the SUNY Oswego campus that has taken root and will continue to flourish well into the future.
Instead, President Stanley and college leadership decided to streamline programs and staffing where they could while making targeted investments that could pay dividends in the long-term future of the college.
President Stanley oversaw the evolution of annual fundraising efforts into more sophisticated and effective multi-year campaigns, beginning with Inspiring Horizons, which surpassed the original goal by raising $24 million.
Among her first efforts as president, she created the Presidential Scholars program to recruit and retain the highest achieving students, and assisted in raising funds for the program by participating in a range of philanthropic initiatives, including the annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament.
Guided by the institution’s commitment to student success and achievement, President Stanley launched the Possibility Scholars program, supported by a $5 million bequest, to attract strong students with financial need in New York state to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and give them an opportunity to apply their learning in hands-on, immersive experiences in international locations through the
She also invested in professional staff, including the establishment of a senior level vice president position to work directly with and support the efforts of the volunteers on the Oswego College Foundation and the Oswego Alumni Association
1996
2006
Presidential Merit Scholarships established
Marcia Belmar Willock ’50 Endowed Professor of Finance established 2000 Augustine Silveira Distinguished Lecture Series established
1995
2001
2007 2009
2000
2004
Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement position created
Cutler Family Public Justice Excellence Fund established
2003 Inspiring Horizons, first comprehensive fundraising campaign launched and ultimately raised nearly $24 million
26
OSWEGO
l
WINTER 2022
Possibility Scholarship and Global Labs program launched, including obtaining a $5 million anonymous bequest to fund it
