POTSDAM -- As SUNY Potsdam celebrates its 199th anniversary, the school says it has increased their “Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam” goal to $32 million.

SUNY Potsdam, chartered on March 25, 1816 as St. Lawrence Academy, is preparing for the 2016 SUNY Potsdam Bicentennial Celebration, which will commence next year.

The college has already exceeded its original “Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam” goal of $27 million. The campaign kicked off in April 2013.

The campaign has brought in $28.3 million to date, with a year left to go. The school announced its final phase, the so-called “Third Century Challenge.”

It sets three new goals for the campaign:

• raise a total of $32 million,

• gain 2,016 new donors, and

• increase unrestricted giving, all to be achieved by June 30, 2016.

"The SUNY Potsdam community continues to break records for generosity with our Take the Lead Campaign. I am so impressed with how alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the college have come together to give back to the institution they love," said President Kristin G. Esterberg. "As we look forward to our bicentennial year and our Third Century Challenge, I know we will see even more extraordinary accomplishments."

Since the launch of the Take the Lead Campaign, SUNY Potsdam has raised:

• $4.2 million for student experiences,

• $6.4 million for scholarships,

• $6.7 million for The Annual Fund for Potsdam,

• $10.8 million for academic excellence, and

• $300,000 for other campus needs.

In addition, more than 40 percent of all gifts to the “Take the Lead Campaign” have been for the arts.

So far, the campaign has garnered 11,500 donors, including: 70 Leadership Donors (giving $20,000 or more), 24 Chancellor's Circle Donors (giving $100,000 or more) and seven gifts of $1 million or more.

Donors have also established 120 new endowments (at the $20,000 level or above) during the campaign, of which 82 are designated for scholarships.

Campaign National Co-Chair Michael Galane, a vice president for the Hewlett-Packard company said, "It is incredible how far we have come. Just a few years ago, $25 million seemed like a daunting goal for a small campus like SUNY Potsdam. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, faculty and volunteers, the Take the Lead Campaign has exceeded all expectations. I fully expect that we will bring this same energy and excitement to the Third Century Challenge."

For the Third Century Challenge, SUNY Potsdam will invite donors to increase their unrestricted giving, which can be used for the college's greatest needs and opportunities. People can join the new 2016 Club by making a donation of $2,016 or more to the Third Century Fund, the college's only unrestricted endowment.

The internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe serves as campaign honorary co-chair, along with bestselling novelist T.C. Boyle. Famed lyric soprano Lisa Vroman serves alongside Galane as a national chair of the campaign. Rounding out the steering committee are Lynne Boles, William Flynn, Deborah Diefendorf Hind, Gary Hind, Janice Rowlands Johnson, Christine Meda and J. Richard Munro.

Info: www.potsdam.edu/campaign