SUNY Poly Community Powers Historic Day of Giving Success
SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s 2026 Day of Giving marked a historic milestone for the university community, raising a record-breaking $316,845.45 in just 24 hours on March 26, making it the most successful Day of Giving in SUNY Poly history.
The overwhelming support from alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the institution highlighted the strength of the SUNY Poly community and its shared commitment to student success. Contributions made during the campaign will support a wide range of initiatives across campus, including student scholarships, the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the SUNY Poly Emergency Fund, Poly Pantry, the NYSTEC Business Center of Excellence, Wildcat Athletics, and the SUNY Poly Annual Fund.
Strong donor support for scholarships, athletics, the Emergency Fund, and the Business Center of Excellence reflected the community’s commitment to expanding opportunities for students while strengthening the university’s future.
This year’s Day of Giving also benefited from a $10,000 matching gift from Jerry and Donna Donovan, helping to amplify donor contributions throughout the campaign.
The historic fundraising effort was further supported by numerous alumni, community partners, and corporate sponsors whose generosity helped make the day possible. President-level sponsors included AmeriCU; an anonymous alumna from the Class of ’78; the Dan Ryan Golf Tournament; Gina ’03 and Steve ’06 Surace; Global Strategic Investment Solutions; Jerry and Donna Donovan through the Senator James H. Donovan Memorial Fund; LaFave, Wein, Frament & Karic, PLLC; NYSTEC; Ron and Pat Sarner; and the Student Government at Utica. Additional support was provided by Provost-level sponsors including Assured Information Security (AIS), Beacon Bank, Kevin Volk ’83, Pepsi Co., and Wildcat Hospitality (Aramark).
Together, the SUNY Poly community demonstrated the transformative power of collective giving, ensuring students have access to the resources, opportunities, and support systems they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
