SUNY Canton Giving Tuesday Campaign Tops $100K in Donations

The SUNY Canton College Foundation, Inc., raised more than $100,000 from 225 donors during its “The Power of Us!” Giving Tuesday campaign.

All donations will be used to directly support scholarships and other student-focused initiatives, according to Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the Canton College Foundation Geoffrey VanderWoude.

“This year’s campaign truly shone through,” VanderWoude said. “Thank you to all our generous donors who made this day possible. Your generosity exceeded our expectations, and you’ve created an exceptional impact on our students’ lives.”
In addition to providing funds to help with education expenses, a portion of the support raised will be allocated to assisting students in obtaining their professional licenses after graduation. The new fund was created to help students who lack the financial ability to cover licensing exam fees for degrees such as Veterinary Technology, Funeral Service Administration, and Nursing.

This year’s campaign included a number of funds featured in last year’s effort, such as the Student Emergency Fund, which helps students in crisis, and the Woodside Scholars Capstone Fund, which supports engineering technology students in funding their final projects without being limited by their socioeconomic status.

“Every year, we try to find the challenges that students are facing and work with our generous alumni and friends of the college to meet those needs,” said Assistant Director of Annual Giving Chris Chambers. “Giving Tuesday provides a great opportunity to bring these challenges to the forefront, and our community always responds strongly to support our students.”

The Canton College Foundation team successfully exceeded its goals by creating several new annual and endowed scholarships, as well as receiving several large gifts throughout the day to support priority initiatives on campus. The team had reached the $55,000 goal by 3 p.m., and the momentum continued through the evening. They ultimately surpassed the overall goal by $45,000 and raised $39,000 more than their efforts in 2024.

Giving Tuesday is a National Day of Philanthropy designed to support nonprofit organizations in their missions to serve their communities. Donors who missed the drive and still wish to support one of the many initiatives can donate via the Foundation’s website.