Kent State Fundraising Campaign Raises $383M
KENT, Ohio – Kent State University recently concluded its most successful fundraising campaign in its 114-year history.
Forever Brighter was a comprehensive fundraising campaign that launched its public phase in 2021 with a goal of raising $350 million to support student scholarships, university initiatives, capital building projects and global education.
The campaign ended in June, having raised more than $383.2 million. Of that, $156.8 million has been earmarked for Prioritizing Student Success, the campaign’s initiative to support student scholarships and programs.
The other two campaign priority areas, Expanding University Initiatives and Building the Future, included projects, programs and initiatives to enhance student experiences and support athletics, research and innovation.
Philanthropic support during the campaign has resulted in the construction of Crawford Hall, the new 150,000-square-foot home for the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship on the Kent campus, as well as an expansion to the College of Aeronautics and Engineering building and FedEx Aeronautics Academic Center, and other capital improvements.
“As we look toward the future, we celebrate the success of the Forever Brighter campaign and continue our commitment to ensuring access and fostering completion,” said Todd Diacon, Kent State president. “I’m thrilled that we exceeded our $350 million goal. That’s going to make a difference, right now and long into the future. We are all deeply grateful to the thousands of donors whose generosity is making the university Forever Brighter.”
Lawrence R. and Sandra C. Armstrong, who served as co-chairs of the campaign and are major donors, celebrated the success with fellow donors and friends of the university at a special event in June.
“Sandy and I have always been thankful for the role Kent State played in our lives,” said Lawrence Armstrong, who earned his degrees from Kent State in 1979 and 1980. “Serving as the co-chairs for the Forever Brighter campaign allowed us to contribute to the long-term success of this awesome university, and it has been exciting to see how devoted our university community is to Kent State and its students. The support raised through this campaign will continue to elevate our reputation as a top university while making a Kent State education accessible to countless students.”
The following philanthropic donations were among the gifts received from 66,310 donors during the campaign:
Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Ambassador Edward F. Crawford and his family donated the largest single gift in Kent State history to enable the construction of Crawford Hall, the new home for the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, named in recognition of this gift. Crawford Hall, a 150,000-square-foot building on the Kent campus, will open for students in August and features modern classrooms, specialty laboratory spaces and centers to provide state-of-the-art education and enable impactful business research. The formal grand opening celebration will be held at 2 p.m. Sept. 27.
College of Podiatric Medicine
The Podiatry Foundation made a $10 million donation to support Kent State’s College of Podiatric Medicine. This gift will help secure the financial and academic future of Ohio’s only podiatry college. The gift is funding scholarships, research and continuing medical education programs within the college. In recognition of the gift, a clinical space in the college’s building in Independence, Ohio, has been named The Podiatry Foundation Foot and Ankle Clinic.
College of Aeronautics and Engineering Building Expansion
The College of Aeronautics and Engineering expanded its building on the Kent campus in 2023 to accommodate the increasing number of students enrolling in its programs. The new space opened for students for the 2023 fall semester and was made possible in part by a gift from the Timken Foundation of Canton. The expansion added more than 42,000 square feet and includes adaptable classrooms and research labs, as well areas for student engagement and hands-on learning. The building’s new Henry and Louise Timken Atrium was named to honor the couple who were pioneers in flight.
Student Emergency Fund
Kent State raised more than $1 million in 60 days in 2020 in support of the newly created Student Emergency Fund to assist students who were impacted financially by the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the shift to remote learning, many students and their families faced unexpected financial challenges associated with travel, food, housing, technology needs and, in some cases, lost wages by both the student and parents. The emergency fund continues to support students in need.
Kent State Global Education Endowment
The Kent State Global Education Endowment was created in 2023 and has raised more than $5.2 million to date in support of global education experiences for students. Kent State has more than 200 global education programs in 60 countries, including Italy, France, South Korea, China, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ghana, Egypt and many others. Once fully funded, the endowment will provide an education-abroad scholarship to every incoming Kent State undergraduate student.
Endowed Positions
Kent State has doubled its number of endowed positions to 26 during the Forever Brighter campaign. These positions attract professionals who are experts in their respective fields to educate students and lead Kent State for years to come.
For more information, visit Kent State’s website.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
