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SUNY and ESF Fundraising Continues Upward Trend
SYRACUSE, NY — April 30, 2026 — The 2024-25 SUNY Fundraising Survey Report, released last month, shows growing philanthropic support across the SUNY system, including the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), even as higher education navigates significant change. SUNY is the nation’s largest comprehensive system of public education.
“Across higher education, institutions are navigating rising costs and growing challenges,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. ”At ESF, we are meeting this moment with a clear-eyed plan for sustainability and impact. But we cannot do it alone. Philanthropy is essential to our success. I am deeply grateful for the ESF network of alumni, parents, partners, advocates, and friends whose belief in our mission helps ensure that our students — and our faculty and staff — have the support they need to succeed. Their investment makes opportunity possible.”
As private philanthropic support becomes increasingly important to all state-operated campuses, SUNY institutions use the annual survey to share best practices and benchmark fundraising results with peer institutions. “ESF is one of the smallest institutions in the SUNY system and yet we consistently rank among the top third of campuses for total fundraising,” said Brenda Greenfield, chief advancement officer and executive director of the ESF College Foundation. “These results illustrate how deeply our alumni, parents, and organizational partners value an ESF education.”
The survey shows total fundraising and donor designations for restricted, unrestricted, and endowment gifts. A common misconception is that all donations to an institution are readily available cash for expenses such as state operating budgets.
“Most donors restrict the use of their gift to a purpose that is important to them. At ESF, the most common donor restriction is to support either student scholarships or specific academic research programs,” said Greenfield. “Our donors recognize that the research produced at ESF is increasingly important to our global community and that our students will be the environmental leaders to shape our shared future.”
Greenfield and the advancement team are nearing the close of ESF’s historic $40 million capital campaign, which is double the goal of the College’s last campaign and remains on track to exceed expectations. The campaign for ESF Be Mighty | ESF is raising additional resources to engage the next generation of environmental leaders, enhance learning environments and drive world-changing research. “Our fundraising success in the recent survey reflect the tremendous support we have seen for the priorities of our current campaign,” said Greenfield.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.