Bringing their goals within reach
At Portland State, generosity helps turn possibility into opportunity — for students, for educators and for the communities they serve.
Donor support helps students overcome financial barriers, connects learning with real-world experience and creates spaces where people and ideas come together.
Thank you for believing in Portland State and the people who make it extraordinary.
A YEAR OF IMPACT
Here's what your collective impact looked like
Fiscal Year 2026 is defined as July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026
$45.4 M
RAISED FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND CAMPUS
7,688
total gifts
1,842
FIRST-TIME DONORS JOINED OUR COMMUNITY
4,508
DONORS SUPPORTED PSU
Helping students finish what they started
A scholarship, timely assistance or support for those final credits can change what comes next. Your generosity helps students navigate challenges and continue toward the futures they envision.
A college degree, 30 years later
Greg Mansfield left Portland State more than 30 years ago, just a few credits shy of graduating.
He thought he would return within a year or two, but work and family turned a short pause into decades. Still, the goal stayed with him.
When Greg learned about donor-funded degree completion support, returning became possible. At 57, he came back to PSU. In spring 2026, he finally earned his degree — alongside his son.
Honestly, I never thought this would happen for me. That’s why programs like the President’s Degree Completion Fund matter so much.
Greg Mansfield '26
Support when it mattered most
Scholarships and hardship assistance helped Kylie pursue her education and navigate an unexpected setback. Today, she’s building a career that connects her love of sports with her PSU education.
I’m incredibly grateful for the support I found at PSU. It motivated me to work hard and honor the generosity of people who believed in me.
Kylie Kue '26
Scholarship and Hardship Fund Recipient
Featured Gift
Investing in the next generation of public servants
Longtime PSU educators Walt Ellis and Doug Morgan, together with Rosemary Ellis, have established an endowment supporting the Hatfield School of Government. The fund will provide lasting support for teaching, research and public service, with a goal of reducing financial barriers for students preparing to serve their communities.
Their generosity carries a commitment to public service forward — investing in the people who will help communities meet tomorrow’s challenges.
The premise for our gift is a simple one: we want to give back to the institution that gave us so much.
Professor Walt Ellis
Taking learning further
The impact of giving continues beyond a single course or classroom. It equips students with practical skills and helps educators bring new experiences to the people they teach.
From coast to classroom
Science teacher Anthony Aceves spent their summer gathering tiny crab larvae from Puget Sound, collecting samples and analyzing them in the lab.
Anthony is one of 12 Portland-area middle and high school science teachers gaining research experience at PSU over four years, thanks to support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
These hands-on experiences give teachers new ways to bring scientific inquiry into their classrooms—and help students see discovery as something they can take part in.
Behind the scenes. and their careers.
For PSU Theater Arts students, a career in the arts can begin well beyond the spotlight.
Through partnerships with Portland’s Fertile Ground Festival and Profile Theatre, students are gaining hands-on experience in lighting, sound, stage management and theatrical production. They’re operating technical systems for live performances, collaborating with visiting artists and learning alongside professional mentors.
These experiences connect classroom learning with the demands of professional theater — helping students build their skills, confidence and relationships while contributing to Portland’s creative community.
Connecting cultures and expanding possibilities
Growing interest in Korean language and culture is opening new opportunities at Portland State — with philanthropy helping lead the way.
An endowed gift from Peter and Helen Chun, the largest ever for Korean Studies at PSU, helped launch the Korean Outreach, Research, and Education (KORE) Initiative under Professor Hyeyoung Woo’s leadership.
Through KORE, undergraduate fellows have explored Korean American experiences in Oregon, while faculty fellows have developed new courses examining Korean culture and society. Together with community partnerships and cultural events, this support is deepening connections between students, faculty and Oregon’s Korean American community.
Featured Gift
dollars and sense
A $1 million gift from OnPoint Community Credit Union is supporting a university-wide Financial Wellness and Literacy Initiative.
Designed to help students build practical money management skills, the initiative includes a 10-week course, workshops, webinars, guest speakers and one-on-one coaching.
It’s an investment in knowledge students can carry into their careers, households and communities long after graduation.
Financial literacy is not just about learning how to budget or avoid debt; it’s about empowerment and closing the wealth gap
Qing Hu, Dean of the PSU School of Business
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A day that made a difference
Alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends came together during PSU Day of Giving to support the causes they care about — and showed what collective generosity can accomplish.
Together, nearly 2,000 donors contributed over $350,000, making it our most successful spring campaign to date. These gifts supported opportunities across campus, from scholarships and basic needs to career preparation, community programs and Viking Athletics.
Behind those numbers are more resources for students, more opportunities to pursue their goals and a community invested in their success. Thank you for being part of it.
Four reasons to feel PSU proud
Portland State was recently named best value public university in Oregon by Time magazine.
43% of PSU students are the first in their family to attend college.
PSU hold a 2026-27 Military Friendly School Gold Award, placing it in the top 10% nationwide for its support of verterans.
Established in 1966, PSU has one of the nation's oldent outdoor recreation programs.