For more than 50 years, private contributions from alumni, parents, and friends of the College have greatly enriched the quality of academic life at Purchase by enhancing teaching, learning, and discovery.  Every generous gift to the Purchase College Foundation has a tremendous impact and changes the trajectory of our students’ lives by putting higher education within reach, regardless of financial circumstances.

Alumni Giving Back

Alumni Honor the Professors Whose Lessons They Can’t Forget

The connection between students and faculty at Purchase has always been strong. From the time they all ate lunch together in what was the administration building to the persistence of the Senior Project mentor experience, enduring bonds form. Recently, some Purchase alumni moved beyond simply appreciating the professors who inspired them and decided to pay it forward.

Acclaimed filmmakers Chris Wedge ’81 and Hal Hartley ’84 and painter Corina Larkin ’06 are giving back to the school—and incoming students—by endowing scholarships in the names of professors who helped launch them into the creative world.

  • Former Purchase College Founding Faculty Member Mimi Arsham

    The Filmmaker: Miriam Arsham

    Tough and sweet, demanding and nurturing, Professor Emerita of Film Miriam Arsham taught a generation of Purchase film students the art of telling stories through moving images.

  • Robert Berlind with student Carol Ann (McKee) Donato (circa 1990s)

    The Painters: Robert Berlind and Harriet Shorr

    Painters Robert Berlind and Harriett Shorr were classmates at the Yale School of Art and Architecture and faculty colleagues at Purchase. They now have endowed scholarships in their names for students seeking financial aid.

Donor Spotlights

  • John Ambroseo '83 (physics)

    J2 Scholarship Challenge Grant Exceeds Expectations

    The J2 Scholarship Challenge Grant for Student Success in Honor of Thomas J. Schwarz, President Emeritus, initiated in 2018 by Chemistry alumnus John Ambroseo ’83 and his wife, Jeanette LaCorte, continues to inspire corporations and foundations to generously support student scholarships.
  • Dee Molinari at the May 4, 2018 Retired Faculty and Staff Dinner

    Dee Molinari: Because of the Kids

    During her 22 years of employment at Purchase College, Deanne “Dee” Molinari crossed paths with hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people. But the ones she remembers the most, and the ones who inspired her both then and now, are the students, and they are the reason she continues to support Purchase in her retirement.

Giving Highlights

Arts Entities

Neuberger Museum of Art

  • Stephen Antonakos, Neon Lintel, 1997, Neon, painted raceway, 20 x 14 x 208 inches, Collection Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, ...

    Neon Lintel Reinstalled

    One of the Neuberger’s beloved site-specific works, a double-sided neon sculpture by Stephen Antonakos that was originally commissioned for the 1997 Neuberger Museum Biennial Exhibition of Public Art, was reinstalled in 2021 thanks to the generosity of eight members of the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art Board.
  • Creative Learning Space at the Neuberger Museum of Art

    Creative Learning Space

    Former docent Susan Fuirst and her husband, Alan, made a generous gift to overhaul the museum’s Skylight Galley, transforming the classroom into a state-of-the-art learning facility for PK12 visitors.
  • Anton Koberger, Koberger Bible leaf, 1483 (one leaf, two sides), Ink on paper, 13 ¼ x 8 ½ inches, Collection Neuberger Museum of Art, P...

    Provenance Project

    The museum’s permanent collection builds on nearly 950 works that founding patron Roy R. Neuberger gave to the NEU over the course of his lifetime.
  • Distribution of NEU Kids Packs to local schoolkids at the Enrico Firmi School in Yonkers, NY.

    NEU Kids Packs

    In Spring 2021, the Neuberger Museum of Art and its education team delivered 200 NEU Kids Pack backpacks filled with essential art supplies and projects to local schoolkids at the Enrico Firmi School in Yonkers.


The Performing Arts Center

  • Air Play performance at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College

    Community Support Keeps The PAC Thriving

    Community support is stronger than ever. This year, The Performing Arts Center saw a 56% increase in the number of gifts received as compared to last year. Although The PAC remained closed to the public for the entirety of FY 2020-2021, thanks to this outpouring of support, The PAC’s commitment to being an incubator for the arts and a welcoming community hub never wavered.