Annual Impact Report

Fiscal Year 2024

Thank you for contributing to The Penn Fund in Fiscal Year 2024.

Your vital support ensures a transformative undergraduate education, funds academic enrichment and cross-cutting campus programs like SNF Paideia, and helps sustain the University’s commitment to making a difference in the world.

The students and stories below represent a snapshot of your gifts in action. They also represent Penn’s investment in the future. Deepest thanks again for your ongoing partnership, generosity, and impact.

We truly could not do this work without you!

Thank you!

A Year of Record-Breaking Impact


Almost $56 million raised for The Penn Fund


6th record-breaking year in a row

Your contributions impact the student experience every day

Undergraduates Morgan Emery C'26 and Lindsay Park ENG’25 IPD’26 share their unique stories below. From providing the ability to fund much-needed summer courses to fueling Penn Global seminars, what follows are just two examples of the ways The Penn Fund bolsters student experiences across campus.

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Morgan Emery C’26

Shamong, NJ
Russian and East European Studies, English

Morgan Emery’s older brothers—two Penn alumni—inspired him to apply to the University.

Seeing my brothers learn from their friends attracted me to Penn’s community. Through them, I also had the opportunity to enjoy Penn’s spirit of connection and collaboration before even getting to campus,” Morgan explains.

Alumni philanthropy has also played a vital role in Morgan’s academic journey. Due to various medical expenses, it was essential for him to find a school that offered substantial undergraduate financial aid. Penn made a transformative higher education possible for him.

“I was born prematurely with a disability, which required weekly physical therapy and doctor’s appointments, as well as expensive medical equipment,” he says.

Due to generous gifts from loyal donors, I received scholarships that have enabled me to learn and study here. I’m so grateful for all the University has offered me so far.
Morgan Emery C’26

Propelling the Academic Journey


Supporting 10,610 undergraduates


Helping meet 100% of demonstrated financial need


Lindsay Park ENG’25 IPD’26

Horsham, PA
Systems Engineering

As a high school junior, Lindsay participated in GEARS Day, an annual event during which Penn undergraduates visit area high schools to educate students about engineering disciplines through hands-on workshops.

GEARS Day offered her insight into the diverse pathways and applications of engineering, and it opened her eyes to her own potential.

“I was always interested in STEM, but I didn’t feel prepared to study it at the collegiate level,” shares Lindsay. “At GEARS Day, the student facilitators made engineering seem so equitable and accessible, and the event gave me the confidence to apply to Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.”

Now a Systems Engineering Major at the University, Lindsay shares her passion for education and service as president of Penn’s Society of Women Engineers, the non-profit organization responsible for GEARS Day.

“GEARS Day was the most impactful event I experienced in high school. It has been so rewarding to feel empowered to study engineering, to empower others to get started with STEM.”
Lindsay Park ENG’25 IPD’26

Class of 1999 25th Reunion Project

The Class of 1999 recognized the important work of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program at Penn—a new center housed in College Hall that is dedicated to educating students to become contributing citizens in the world today. Since its launch in 2020, the SNF Paideia Program has equipped undergraduates with the skills needed to foster meaningful connections and productive civil discourse with their peers and members of the greater community.

Promoting Dialogue Across Difference

In honor of their 25th Reunion, the Class of 1999 dedicated their fundraising efforts to support The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Paideia Program, a program that provides Penn students and faculty with the tools to improve dialogue across difference on campus and beyond.

SNF Paideia initiatives include sponsoring student fellows and facilitating trainings and courses on civic engagement, service, citizenship, and dialogue. This generous reunion gift will enable the SNF Paideia Program to continue to develop and expand, impacting even more students and empowering them to serve as leaders and changemakers on campus, in Philadelphia, and around the world.

The Class of 1999 25th Reunion Gift will benefit the SNF Paideia Program’s extensive offerings, specifically funding student-led dialogue and community-building activities throughout the academic year.

In a modern context, the ancient Greek concept of paideia refers to education beyond the classroom, focusing on the development of each individual as a whole person and their connection to our shared humanity.

“We are very grateful to the Class of 1999 for this extraordinary gift which will allow for the development of new and reimagined physical spaces on campus conducive to meaningful dialogue across difference,” said Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath, SNF Paideia Program Faculty Director. “This initiative responds to a growing need and concern raised frequently over the past year.”

“Throughout last year's many challenges and also related opportunities, our class recognized the need to educate current (and future) undergraduates not only as students, but as whole-hearted human beings. We were honored to support both the SNF Paideia Program and the Penn community in enhancing our ability to navigate and lead in an ever-changing world.”
25th Reunion Giving Co-Chairs: Yusef Kassim ENG'99, Lizzy Gottlieb Markus C'99, Karen Chance Mercurius C'99 G'08, and Aliya Karmally Sahai W'99

Explore the Impact of Your Generosity:
The Penn Fund in Action

Hear from our team how your generosity fuels innovation, fosters academic excellence, and builds a brighter future for all Quakers in the video below. Thank you very much for being an integral part of the University's ongoing legacy of opportunity and growth through your support of The Penn Fund. We look forward to connecting with you again soon.


The Penn Fund
University of Pennsylvania
2929 Walnut Street | Suite 300
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5099

Phone: (215) 898-8445
Email: pennfund@lists.upenn.edu