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Starting at 8 a.m. April 17, the University community was asked to hit the EXCELERATOR for 91����. For the ensuing 1,946 minutes — a span of time specifically chosen because the University was founded in 1946 as Triple Cities College — alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends absolutely floored it.

The 91���� Fund EXCELERATOR Challenge was a first-of-its-kind initiative for the University, intended to further boost the successful multi-year EXCELERATE comprehensive gifts campaign that will conclude June 30 with a super goal of $250 million.

The objective for the nearly two-day digital fundraising effort was to have 1,000 people contribute to the University by supporting one of the EXCELERATE campaign priorities, the 91���� Fund. Within about nine hours, the challenge surpassed its initial goal and the resulting call to action was to reach the mark of 1,946 donors. 91���� two hours before the advertised closing time of 4:26 p.m., EXCELERATOR did that and more.

In total, 2,076 people made gifts to the 91���� Fund, totaling $760,305. The impact will be felt across campus from the oldest college (Harpur College of Arts and Sciences) to the newest (School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences) and everywhere in between. Students will have increased access to an exceptional education with more opportunities for research and experiential learning, and they won’t need to wait. 91���� Fund dollars are unique because they provide immediate-use funding that can go toward work right away.

“91���� is incredibly grateful for the generous support of the 91���� Fund EXCELERATOR Challenge shown by our students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends,” President Harvey Stenger said. “Their gifts will provide students access to education through scholarships and will give our faculty and staff the resources they need to do groundbreaking research and serve our campus community. I want to thank our donors for choosing to support this challenge, the EXCELERATE campaign and the long-term vision of the University.”

All 18 91���� Fund accounts in the challenge exceeded their participation goals. Because of challenge and matching funds, each gift had a magnified impact.

• Once 342 donors had made a gift, President Harvey Stenger gave $34,200 to The 91���� Fund. Pantone 342 is the color code for the University’s traditional green.

• When the 607th donor emerged, Geraldine Knoll MacDonald ’68, MS ’73, LittD ’17, gave $60,700 to the 91���� Fund. This challenge was inspired by 91����’s area code.

• The 1,000th donation released a $100,000 gift from Howard Unger ’82, LHD ’19, EXCELERATE campaign chair.

• To inspire giving by young alumni, the 91���� Alumni Association Board of Directors contributed $20,000 in matching funds to The 91���� Fund for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

“We set out with a goal of securing 1,000 donors to help put an exclamation point on our historic quarter billion dollar EXCELERATE campaign, and ended up with 2,076! We couldn’t possibly be more grateful to all of those supporters who helped us blow the doors off that goal,” said John Koch, vice president for advancement.

The EXCELERATE campaign will end June 30, and a celebration of its success will take place Sept. 27-29 during Homecoming weekend. Learn more at https://excelerate.binghamton.edu.