"The Campaign for City College: Doing Remarkable Things Together" has already raised half of its $1 billion goal.
The City College of New York and the Foundation for City College attained a significant achievement by reaching half of the $1 billion goal of its “The Campaign for City College: Doing Remarkable Things Together” campaign.
The 10-year campaign, announced by President Vincent Boudreau in May 2022, coincided with the 175th anniversary of the College’s founding as the Free Academy in 1847, and aimed to triple its then-existing endowment by 2032. The milestone was achieved on May 1, which coincided with this year’s Day of Giving and Homecoming Weekend.
“Expanding and stabilizing the college’s financial foundations underpins and enables everything else we’re seeking to do in the realms of student success, research impact and community engagement,” said Boudreau. Given the college’s profound legacy and rich record of alumni achievement, building our advancement operation seemed the most logical path to that stability. Reaching this milestone demonstrates that we’re on the right path, and testifies as well to the great work happening in our advancement operation, among the members of our foundation board, and in collaboration with the many supporters who have stepped forward to invest in CCNY’s future.”
The total number of pledges and gifts to date reflects the depth and breadth of the response from the CCNY community and beyond. The amount of individual gifts ranged from as small as $5 to as large as $18.5 million, highlighting the ways in which City College has worked to connect with alumni and non-alumni, including corporate and foundation supporters across a variety of backgrounds.
“This achievement has been possible because of the remarkable work that happens at City College, the remarkable work our graduates go on to do in the world, and the remarkable support of our donors and partners,” said CCNY Chief Financial Officer Lucas Koehler. “It’s an honor to be part of the team that puts philanthropic support to work here at CCNY.”
Increasing the existing endowment will lay the foundation for continuing success by supporting creative scholarships, internships, fellowships, and entrepreneurship initiatives, faculty research, staff initiatives and upgrading physical facilities. These ambitions will also help to expand the College’s world-class research profile. An example of this is the President’s Innovation Fund, which backs faculty research that develops commercially viable innovations accessible to the broader community.
"City College was the start of a system that has grown to 26 colleges across five boroughs, but CUNY's mission remains the same: To provide an education to all regardless of background or means," said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “The Campaign for City College will expand opportunities, increase impact and create new pathways to success for generations to come. We congratulate the College and President Boudreau on reaching this remarkable milestone in the decade-long effort, and express gratitude to those who made it happen.”
“I am proud of the leadership and vision that brought the City College Fund and the 21st Century Foundation together into a singhttps://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/frank-j-sciame-74-new-foundation-city-co…" title="Frank J. Sciame">Frank J. Sciame ’74, chair of the Foundation for City College board. “This unity proves that, with the right leadership and commitment, one plus one can truly equal three. I’m honored to help lead this next chapter and look forward to working with our outstanding board, alumni, and Advancement team as we drive toward our $1 billion goal.”
"While we are proud to celebrate this milestone, our focus remains firmly on the work ahead," said Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Communications and External Relations, Executive Director of the Foundation for City College, and Senior Advisor to President Boudreau Dee Dee Mozeleski. "The next phase of this campaign will be about translating philanthropic investment into transformational outcomes—creating new pathways for student success, expanding research and innovation, strengthening our academic enterprise, and ensuring that City College continues to serve as a model of excellence, access, and social mobility for generations to come."
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 2.2% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.7 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers, and society. At City College, more than 16,500 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity, and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together,” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College's mission. By May 2026, more than $500 million had been raised. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic, and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Syd Steinhardt
212-650-7875
ssteinhardt@ccny.cuny.edu