News & Impact Stories
Private support is often the difference between a good university and a truly great university. Private support plays a profound and positive role in our students’ success. Donor support creates learning, service and research opportunities for Florida State students and faculty, and it helps make FSU one of the nation's top universities. Your gifts express support for FSU’s values, community, history and future.
Steve Mudder’s $1 million gift ensures Legacy Hall will remain state-of-the-art into the future
By: Barbara Ash
Since graduating from the College of Business, Steve Mudder has consistently invested his time and financial support in his alma mater. He says he does it because he is proud of the quality of the school, its faculty, alumni and students. Simply put, he loves Florida State University.
AT&T donates $10,000 to Opening Nights at Florida State University for cultural arts programming in high schools
By: Lori Elliot
AT&T is donating $10,000 to Opening Nights at Florida State University to help provide enhanced cultural arts programming for Leon County high school students.
Gratitude and inspiration soar at FSU’s new Jim Moran Building
Author: Dave Heller
The optimistic, enthusiastic spirit of entrepreneur and philanthropist Jim Moran was alive and well at a ribbon cutting for Florida State University’s new entrepreneurship-focused Jim Moran Building, and so were his words.
Moran famously once said, “The future belongs to those who prepare for it.”
FSU is preparing an exciting new entrepreneurial future for students and small business owners thanks to a transformational $100 million gift from Moran’s wife, Jan, and the Jim Moran Foundation.
FSU Panama City aims for $1 million mechanical engineering endowment
Author: Eryn Dion
Organizers said education is the first step down the “pathway to prosperity,” allowing local students to stay local, attend schools locally and find quality jobs in the local area close to their families.
PANAMA CITY — About an hour after taking the stage last October during the annual Gulf Power Economic Symposium to talk about diversifying the area’s economy, Gulf Power CEO Stan Connally had an offer to do just that.
Alumnus Bob Sasser doubles impact of $500K gift to FSU from Dollar Tree
Author: Barbara Ash
Bob Sasser has demonstrated once again he’s a true friend and generous advocate of Florida State University and the College of Business.
Sasser, a 1973 marketing graduate, has matched a $500,000 gift to FSU from Dollar Tree Inc., the company he led as chief executive officer and president before recently becoming executive chairman. The match doubles the gift’s impact to $1 million and establishes the Bob Sasser Professor of Marketing.
Opening Nights at Florida State University announces $250,000 endowed gift to provide enhanced cultural arts programming
Author: Lori Elliott
Opening Nights at Florida State University has announced that a $250,000 endowed gift by Kelly and Laurie Dozier will enable Opening Nights to collaborate with LeMoyne’s Chain of Parks Art Festival to provide enhanced cultural arts programming for the Tallahassee community.
The two organizations will partner to present a program to kick off the 19th Annual Chain of Parks Festival in April 2019.
Retiring Dean Includes FSU in Her Estate
As dean of Florida State University's College of Education, Marcy Driscoll is no stranger to conversations about giving. Since 2005, she has raised over $32 million in gifts and commitments with a consistent focus on student scholarships.
"I am proud to say that the College of Education has more scholarships than any other college on campus," she says, "and we offer more scholarship dollars than any other college of education in the state of Florida."
Dedman School receives $2 million Marriott Foundation gift for hospitality career center
Author: Bob Branciforte
Florida State University’s Dedman School of Hospitality announces a gift from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation to establish the Marriott Career Center.
The $2 million gift provides for an endowed fund supporting the center’s ongoing operations, as well as $250,000 for renovations in the development of its facilities.
The Ringling announces $100M campaign to secure future vitality of landmark arts campus
The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the State Art Museum of Florida administered by Florida State University (FSU), announces a $100 million comprehensive campaign to preserve and expand its legacy for the 21st century and beyond. The Ringling Inspires: Honoring the Legacy and Building for the Future campaign has raised $92 million to date. It is an integral component of Florida State University’s Raise the Torch campaign.
“An Art Affair” Establishes the Susan and Mark Messersmith Art Scholarship
Last year, Susan and Mark Messersmith announced their interest in establishing an art scholarship for undergraduate students excelling in painting and sculpture at Florida State University.