The SUNY Oneonta Foundation is one of 159 large-sized organizations in the United States nominated for the 2024 Community Choice Awards by Charity Navigator, the nation's largest and most influential nonprofit evaluator. The SUNY Oneonta Foundation is the only university foundation in the country to receive a nomination.
Charity Navigator announced the nominations on July 8, 2024. To qualify, organizations must have attained a prestigious four-star rating and earned all four Charity Navigator beacons. This recognition reflects the SUNY Oneonta Foundation's commitment to transparency, accountability and effectiveness in its charitable endeavors.
“The SUNY Oneonta Foundation supports academic excellence, student success and equity,” said Paul Adamo, Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the SUNY Oneonta Foundation. “It’s important that our alumni and donors trust that the university utilizes their donations in impactful ways and according to their wishes. The SUNY Oneonta Foundation has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for 13 straight years, which demonstrates the foundation's financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.”
The Community Choice Awards will have one winner in each size-based category: small, medium, large and super. The determination of the winners will be based on the total number of votes received. The winners will be officially announced on August 17, 2024.
To cast your vote and support the SUNY Oneonta Foundation in the Community Choice Awards, please visit the Charity Navigator website and follow the voting instructions.
Support for Real-World Learning Opportunities
Providing students with affordable experiential learning opportunities is a priority at SUNY Oneonta, and charitable gifts to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation help make it happen. In 2024-2025, more than $700,000 from the SUNY Oneonta Foundation will be used to make internships, research, global experiences, student travel and other forms of real-world, experiential learning more affordable and accessible for SUNY Oneonta students.
One of the core experiential experiences for any student is the ability to travel abroad during their college career. Through continued charitable giving, more SUNY Oneonta students can afford a life-changing international study experience than ever before.
During the 2023-24 academic year:
- The Julia D. Galusha Endowed Fund for Global Connectedness helped fund a study abroad program in Leipzig, Germany.
- The Bill and Khuki Woolever Scholarship helped fund two students’ study abroad experiences in Japan.
- The Nancy E. Wolters Endowed Scholarship funded a Criminal Justice major who studied in Sydney, Australia, and explored the Great Barrier Reef.
- The Dr. Warren & Mrs. Rita Wellman Scholarship for Study Abroad helped fund a student’s study abroad program in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- The Gary and Pamela Tutty Study Abroad Scholarship helped fund a student’s study abroad program in Italy.
- The Tracey (Wolf) '86 & Keith '87 Drayer Fund for Global Experiential Learning will fund a summer 2024 study abroad program participant.
- The College at Oneonta Foundation 30th Anniversary Scholarship helped fund a student’s study abroad experience in Ireland.
- The Carrie Krumholtz-Liebman Scholarship helped fund a student’s study abroad experience in Greece and will help fund three students studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, this summer.
- The Caroline Turner Study Abroad Scholarship helped fund a student’s study abroad experience in Ireland.
- The David Daly & Arthur Dauria Scholarship for International Travel helped fund a student’s study abroad experience in Spain.
- The Global Connectedness Fund will help 27 students study abroad throughout the 2023-24 academic year.
- The Klaritch Family International Education Scholarship is being used to help students returning from a study abroad experience with unexpected program expenses.
- The Gerald J. Ferrante '77 Scholarship in Memory of Margaret A. Ferrante partially funded a Fashion and Textiles major who studied at the University of Florence in Italy.
Support for Student Success
Charitable gifts to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation help students achieve their goals and stay on track toward graduation.
- More than $2.5 million in student scholarships is awarded annually through the SUNY Oneonta Foundation.
- Since 2013, students who receive a scholarship through the SUNY Oneonta Foundation have a one-year retention rate of 91%, compared with 82% for our overall student population.
- Since 2013, students who receive a scholarship through the SUNY Oneonta Foundation have a six-year graduation rate of 86%, compared with 75% for the overall student population.
- Charitable gifts totaling over $1 million endowed the SUNY Oneonta Student Emergency Fund, ensuring that $50,000 in emergency support will be available each year to assist students facing unexpected financial challenges, including homelessness, medical bills and food insecurity.
About Charity Navigator
Founded in 2002, Charity Navigator is a 501(c)(3) organization that guides intelligent giving with the nation's largest, most comprehensive charity evaluation tool. The organization helps donors easily identify U.S.-registered charities making a difference on the issues they care about most while helping charities better understand their donors, deliver on impact, and increase awareness and funding. Learn more at charitynavigator.org.