Inspire and Impact: GivingTuesday

Celebrate the Penn State spirit and power of generosity on GivingTuesday by making a gift to support Penn State engineers. Your generous donations will help fund programs within our college that advocate for students’ success by providing them with the tools they need to excel academically and enhance their overall experience at Penn State.

The University’s twelfth GivingTuesday celebration will officially launch at 6:55 p.m. ET on November 30—or 18:55 on the 24-hour clock, a nod to the year of Penn State’s founding—and run until 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1. Any gift, large or small, is greatly appreciated by the students, faculty, and staff in the College of Engineering.

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Early giving is now open »

Use the dropdown menu on the GivingTuesday early giving page to support our 2026 campaigns listed below. 

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Department and Unit Giving Opportunities

The Penn State Fund for the College of Engineering

Gifts to the Penn State Fund for the College of Engineering provide flexible support where it's needed most. Your gift supports student recruitment activities, unique educational and professional development opportunities, and scholarships. Beyond students, the Penn State Fund in the College of Engineering empowers the work of our faculty and supports cutting-edge engineering research.

For more than 125 years, the Penn State College of Engineering has been a leader in engineering research and cutting-edge academic programs. Through your generosity, we can continue to uphold our land-grant mission to make a positive impact on our local communities across Pennsylvania and around the world.

Give to the College of Engineering »

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Department of Architectural Engineering

The Penn State Department of Architectural Engineering (AE)is shaping architectural engineers of the future. AE is asking for financial support to help ease unexpected burdens many of our students face during their educational experience at Penn State. The first goal is to support AE students who are experiencing unexpected financial hardships. Funds will help students cover critical needs such as food, housing, basic needs or unforeseen emergencies. The second goal is to support AE student-led organizations by providing funding for technical seminars, social events, guest speakers, conference participation, and educational travel experiences.

Your support can ease a student's unexpected hardship or provide them with financial assistance for additional educational experiences. Your generous donations are essential to providing financial support to students in the AE family, as they strive to succeed in their academic careers at Penn State and will contribute to their career success, solving societal needs of today and beyond. 

Give to AE »

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Engineering Leadership Development International Travel Support

The Engineering Leadership Development (ELD) program provides a challenging, relevant, dynamic cross-cultural experience that further engages students in their education while preparing them for leadership roles in a technical environment. Support to ELD through this campaign will directly offset student expenses for international travel to South Africa and Switzerland. The ELD program collaborates with international partners and integrates their classes with Penn State for a semester-long engineering project that includes an optional ten-day, in-country experience in May.

Give to ELD »

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Engineering Study Abroad Scholarship Fund

A global experience changes students’ lives, opens minds, expands horizons, and empowers Penn State engineers to become globally minded leaders. Yet for many students, financial barriers stand in the way of studying abroad. The Penn State Engineering Study Abroad Scholarship Fund helps make these transformative opportunities possible by reducing financial barriers for deserving students. Your gift will help more students gain the global experiences that shape who they are and what they’re capable of achieving. Together, we can open doors to the world for the next generation of Penn State engineers.

Give to the Engineering Study Abroad Scholarship Fund »

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Department of Mechanical Engineering

In the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME), faculty and students are innovating today to find solutions that will impact tomorrow's opportunities in energy, security, machine learning and biomedical devices. A gift of $200 to the department's Academic Excellence Fund provides one student with a specialized kit that helps them excel in their third- and fourth-year mechanical engineering classes. These kits include a microprocessor, sensors such as accelerometers and thermocouples, and output devices like lights and motors.

Give to ME »

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Engineering Summer Bridge Program

is a transformative summer experience offered through the Multicultural Engineering Program that helps incoming engineering students build the academic foundation, confidence, and community needed for success before their first semester begins. Through rigorous academic preparation, professional development, peer mentorship, and structured social and cultural experiences, participants gain a head start in navigating one of Penn State's most challenging and rewarding fields of study. Students leave the program with stronger support networks, enhanced college readiness, and the skills to thrive both inside and outside the classroom. Your GivingTuesday gift helps remove financial barriers, ensuring that more talented and motivated students can access this life changing opportunity and begin their engineering journey prepared to succeed.

Give to Engineering Summer Bridge »

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Center for Engineering Outreach & Inclusion

Not every Penn State engineering student arrives with the same access to tutors, mentors, or the financial cushion to absorb an unexpected cost. And often it's these small gaps, not a lack of ability or drive, that put a student's success at risk. The Center for Engineering Outreach & Inclusion closes those gaps every day, but demand for our peer tutoring, exam review sessions, academic coaching, and mentoring has never been higher, and funding hasn't kept pace. This Giving Tuesday, your gift helps us meet that growing need head-on. A gift of any size goes directly toward the programs that are already changing students' lives this semester. Because a little goes a long way, and every dollar brings a talented engineer one step closer to the graduation stage.

Give to the Center for Engineering Outreach & Inclusion »

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Student Activity Enhancement Fund

Managed by the Engineering Undergraduate Council, the Engineering Student Activity Enhancement Fund supports student organizations within the College of Engineering. Student organizations can apply year-round for funding for professional development, community building, other initiatives such as conference registration and travel grants, project or competition expenses, and special events. These funds help build strong STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) communities, expand student engagement, and serve broad student populations. Since fall 2023, 22 student organizations have received support from the Engineering Student Activity Enhancement Fund, reaching several thousand students. This campaign provides aid to the student organizations with the greatest need for resources. We pay special attention to supporting newer student organizations that are just getting established and do not yet have a strong fundraising or sponsorship base.

Give to the Student Activity Enhancement Fund »

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Department of Engineering Science & Mechanics

For undergraduate students in Penn State's Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) program, that curiosity is the heart of their education. Students are encouraged to think beyond traditional approaches, ask meaningful questions, and pursue their interests through independent, faculty-guided work. By making a gift to this campaign, you are investing in more than individual projects. You are helping shape the next generation of engineers, researchers, and problem-solvers. Your generosity gives students the opportunity to build confidence, expand their knowledge, and develop a foundation for success in their future careers. Gifts made on Giving Tuesday will support undergraduate students in Penn State's Engineering Science and Mechanics program as they apply engineering design principles through hands-on research and projects, including their senior honors theses.

Give to ESM »

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Women in Engineering Program

Your GivingTuesday gift is more than a donation—it’s an investment in the Women in Engineering Program, which promotes student success, persistence, and belonging. Your support sustains transformative programs that empower a vibrant engineering community where every student can belong, thrive, and reach their full potential as tomorrow’s leaders and innovators.

WEP's four-day Women in Engineering Program Orientation transitions students into engineering through robust community, mentoring, and resources. More than 50 Facilitated Study Groups each semester strengthen performance in Entrance to Major engineering courses. WEP Wednesdays foster community and connect students with valuable resources, while yearlong structured mentoring builds confidence, supports growth, and strengthens professional readiness. Together, WEP programs provide academic support, robust community and career confidence needed to persist in engineering and thrive as future leaders.

Give to WEP »

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Department of Biomedical Engineering Excellence Fund

Support students in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Penn State.

Give to BME »

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Student Organization Giving Opportunities

• Graduate Women in Engineering
• Theme Park Engineering Group
• Nittany Motorsports
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers 
• Engineers Without Borders
• Structural Engineers Association
• Sigma Gamma Tau Aerospace Engineering Honor Society
• Engineers in Action
• National Society of Black Engineers
• Nittany Rocket Labs
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers