Impact Stories 2020-2021
Impact is one of those fundraising words that tends to accompany the largest gifts, but every gift truly makes a difference here at Purchase.
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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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A $15,000 annual grant from the Con Edison Community Affairs Foundation is creating a pipeline of tomorrow’s science leaders in our community.
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The George Perry Floyd, Jr. Trustee Scholarship for Civic Engagement and Social Justice was established in 2021 when the Purchase College Foundation Board of Trustees dedicated $100,000 of its assets to launch this new quasi-endowed fund.
Arts Entities
Neuberger Museum of Art
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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. -
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.
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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. -
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
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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.
Financial Reports
From July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, more than 681 donors contributed $2,031,573 in support of students, faculty, programs, performances, exhibitions and events at Purchase College, the Neuberger Museum of Art, and The Performing Arts Center.
2021 and 2020 Consolidated Financial Statements
- Purchase College Foundation and Subsidiary
- Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art
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View all Financial Reports
The Purchase College Foundation is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that serves as a liaison between donors and the college, The Performing Arts Center, and the Neuberger Museum of Art.