Portland State University today announced the successful conclusion of its first comprehensive fundraising initiative, the $300 million Campaign for PSU. The milestone comes at an auspicious moment for Portland’s urban university at the culmination of its 75th anniversary year.
“This wonderful outcome comes at a turning point moment for Portland State,” said PSU President Stephen Percy. “The tremendous commitment of donors and friends has allowed the university to advance our vital mission and to let knowledge serve the city. We are grateful for this vote of confidence from the community as we look ahead to our next 75 years of service and excellence.”
Over the course of the seven-year campaign period, more than 23,000 donors made more than 77,000 gifts and pledges to support PSU. Together their contributions helped make possible these key outcomes:
- Six major new campus facilities
- Creation of 461 new scholarship and student support funds
- More than 13,000 individual scholarships awarded during the campaign period
- Creation of 34 new named faculty positions, including professors, chairs and visiting scholars
- 150% growth in PSU’s endowment, which now totals $100 million, during the campaign period
“Every city needs a great university, and that’s Portland State,” said Christine and David Vernier, founders of Vernier Software & Technology and long-time PSU advocates, donors and board leaders. “We were honored to contribute to this landmark campaign, and believe it has raised awareness about the value that PSU brings to our region.”
Around 60% of campaign donors were first-time contributors, and almost half of all contributors were alumni. There were 91 gifts or pledges of $1 million or more — but the majority of donations came from people making contributions of $1,000 or less.
Donor support has transformed PSU's campus in recent years, including the addition of the Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center.“This campaign proved the power of community,” said Sarah Schwarz, president of the PSU Foundation. “Alumni support demonstrated just how critical Portland State alumni are both to PSU’s future and — with more than 125,000 alumni living and working in the metro area — to Portland’s vitality.”
“I would like to thank the many volunteers who dedicated their time, talents and treasure to advance Portland State during this campaign,” said Dr. Keren Brown Wilson ’83, chair of the PSU Foundation Board of Trustees. “As board leaders, donors and community advocates, they brought a joyful energy that created exciting forward momentum.”
Support for capital priorities
Campaign gifts helped spark a major transformation on PSU’s campus. More than $54 million contributed by donors helped unlock nearly $250 million in state support to construct or renovate six new campus facilities, including Fariborz Maseeh Hall, home to student services, support programs and academic units in the humanities; the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU; the Karl Miller Center, home to the PSU School of Business; the Vanport Building, home to the PSU College of Education and the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health; the Vernier Science Center, an undergraduate science center opening in September 2024; and the Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center, home to Viking Athletics and PSU’s sporting venue for basketball and volleyball.
Major gift commitments for facilities included more than $11 million from an anonymous donor family in support of multiple capital projects; $9 million from Rick and Erika Miller in support of the Karl Miller Center; $5 million from Fariborz Maseeh to support Fariborz Maseeh Hall; $5 million from Jordan Schnitzer and his family to support the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU; $4.5 million from David and Christine Vernier to support the Vernier Science Center; $2.1 million from Peter and Julie Stott to support the Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center; $3 million from Dennis and Janet Beetham to support the Viking Pavilion and Vernier Science Center; $2 million from Tim and Mary Boyle to support the PSU School of Business and Viking Pavilion; and $2 million from Hamid Djojonegoro to support the Karl Miller Center.
Support for students and student success
Donors gave most generously to support students, contributing more than $96 million during the campaign for scholarships and awards. More than 65% of PSU’s diverse student population requires financial support to complete their education, and around 40% are the first in their families to attend college.
PSU scholarship recipient Citlaly Arroyo-Juarez speaking on the importance of support for students.“PSU believed in me before I believed in myself,” said Citlaly Arroyo-Juarez ’22, a scholarship recipient and student leader in the PSU College of Urban & Public Affairs who plans to become an immigration attorney. The first in her family to attend college, Arroyo-Juarez currently leads PSU’s Student Ambassador program.
Support for faculty and programs
The Campaign for PSU also provided substantial new support for faculty and their research and academic activities.
Donors created 34 new named faculty positions during the campaign, including the Daimler Trucks Professor of Analytics, the Gregory K. & Mary Chomenko Hinckley Professor of Choir, Music Education & Social Justice, the Barre Stoll Director of Choral Activities, the Tilikum Professorship of Indigenous Nations Studies, the Vollum Professor of Voice, as well as eight professorships in the PSU School of Business made possible by Gerry and Marilyn Cameron.
“We’re in a transformative post-pandemic moment,” said Theodore Van Alst, Jr., Tilikum Professor of Indigenous Nations Studies in the PSU School of Gender, Race and Nations. “Support for faculty helps us build relationships and connect students with opportunities that will set them up for success.”
Millions in new contributions supported faculty-led programs, centers and institutes, particularly those intended to advance vital research and to help the university harness its multidisciplinary strengths to address complex urban challenges such as homelessness and sustainability.
Campaign donors Jordan Schnitzer and Fariborz Maseeh at the grand opening of Fariborz Maseeh Hall, 2019.Major contributions from corporations and foundations advanced PSU research activities and academic programs. Key contributions included $15 million counted in the campaign by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation; $5 million from The Oregon Community Foundation; $4.7 million from the Lemelson Foundation; $3.4 million from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; $3.6 million from Intel Corporation and the Intel Foundation; $2.3 million from The Renaissance Foundation; $1.8 million from the Meyer Memorial Trust; $1.6 million from the Ford Family Foundation; $1.2 million from Portland General Electric; $1 million from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; and $1 million from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund.
Campaign closing event
PSU President Stephen Percy and PSU Foundation President Sarah Schwarz announced the campaign’s successful conclusion at the university’s 22nd annual Simon Benson Awards Celebration on October 14 before a virtual audience of donors, alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends. The program honored Portland developer and philanthropist Walter Bowen ’67 and jazz vocalist Jimmie Herrod ’16, both PSU alumni.
During the program, Herrod, a finalist on the 2021 America’s Got Talent competition, performed a song entitled “I’m Changing,” which he wrote while a student at PSU.
“I loved my time at Portland State,” Herrod said. “I got to work with amazing professors and build a community within an artistic space right in the middle of the city. I can’t thank donors enough for their support.”
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About the PSU Foundation: The PSU Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that exists to advance Portland State University through relationship building, alumni outreach, community connections and philanthropy — and to invest and manage gifts in accordance with donor wishes. www.psuf.org
To learn more about the Campaign for PSU, visit letknowledgeserve.org.