Friday Feature | Advancement Office

Friday, November 17, 2023

Planning alumni events, cultivating donor relationships, and teaching current students the importance of philanthropy are only part of the duties that our Institutional Advancement Office takes part in here. 

Advancement Offices are typically externally facing, spending many hours traveling and meeting with donors and friends of the college. While this is certainly true for our advancement team, I am constantly amazed with just how immersed our advancement team is with our faculty, staff, and students.

At no better time of the year can this be seen than our Day of Giving. If you took a trip to our Student Leadership Center this past Tuesday, you would have seen Jason Sciotti and Mary Perkins hard at work engaging our students and teaching them what philanthropy is all about. After spending the day with our students, these two found time to attend the women's basketball game that evening, hosting a half court shooting contest during halftime. Jason wasn't successful in his attempts at hitting the shot, but he, Mary, and the whole advancement team certainly were that day, surpassing their goal to raise $250,000 for Alfred State on that day alone. Read more about the Day.

Speaking of raising money, the Advancement Division now has a new dynamic duo in Donna Green and Joy Williams as our grants team. If you haven't met our new Associate Vice President of Grants and Contracts, I am sure you soon will. She has been busy visiting people and departments, understanding the many things that make Alfred State so great so she can align these strengths to support the great work you all do.

How are they doing this year? Well, the grants received this year have already surpassed $4 million dollars and is creating opportunities for over 100 students in various disciplines.

Yes, our advancement team gets Alfred State College, and they do a phenomenal job explaining that to our donors and other partners. When you see them in this month of thanksgiving, please let them know what a wonderful job they do!