50 Years of Gathering for Good
This November, the Renaissance Fund at Penn State celebrates 50 years of “gathering for good” — bringing the Penn State community together to invest in the potential of students and their ability to shape the future. Over five decades, the fund has grown beyond its mission of providing financial support to students with critical needs. It has become a champion of community members who make a difference and a network connecting generations of alumni, students, and friends of Penn State.
“For me, it’s all about how many students we can help,” board chair Gina Ikenberry says. “How much of their [financial] burden can we relieve?”
The fund was created in 1969 by Penn State trustees with the goal of providing scholarships to academically talented students with the greatest financial need, regardless of academic major or other criteria. In 1977, the fund expanded its reach with the creation of the Renaissance Fund Dinner, an annual event that would become a cornerstone of its fundraising efforts.
During the 2024-25 academic year, nearly 900 students received Renaissance Fund scholarships, totaling $1.7 million.
Those scholarships are made possible through the generosity of donors. A contribution of $2,000 can support a student for a single year, while a gift of $30,000 establishes a named scholarship that provides support in perpetuity.
“It’s really 50 years of people believing in the talent of students,” says Greta Hall, director of annual giving at Penn State. “If they have the ability to succeed at Penn State, we don’t want finances to be a barrier.”
Hall adds that when donors believe in the potential of students, they create more than financial support — they create an automatic connection. Students know there are people invested in their success and their Penn State experience.
“Scholarship support allows a student to focus more clearly on their academics, be engaged in student organizations, and be involved in leadership. It opens doors to the Penn State experience.”
“A True Combination of Town & Gown”
The Renaissance Fund began in 1969 through the efforts of Penn State trustees. Eight years later, Mimi Barash Coppersmith — alumna, philanthropist, publishing entrepreneur, and founder of Town&Gown — had an idea.
As a way to increase fundraising for the Renaissance Fund while connecting Penn State alumni with students in need, she proposed hosting an annual dinner that would spotlight an honoree.
Gina Ikenberry was a personal friend of Mimi’s, an integral reason why she chairs the committee today.
“Mimi said, ‘Let’s honor somebody who embodies town and gown, and that person’s friends can come and help support … and it just took off from there.’”
“Took off” is an understatement.
Over the next several decades, the annual event developed a life and meaning of its own. Each year, the board selected and honored a community member or group that had made a transformational impact, who would then be featured in this publication. Honorees have come from many walks of life — historians, State College business owners, scientists, coaches, professors, and community leaders — yet they are connected by a shared commitment to Centre County, Penn State, and helping the next generation of students.
“Not one of these couples or individuals has ever done this for the accolades,” Ikenberry says. “They aren’t thinking about that. Instead, they are asking, ‘How can I better my community? How can I help these students?’ That is really the epitome of town and gown.”
At each year’s dinner, scholarship recipients and donors share a table. The time they spend together creates something difficult to measure but easy to recognize: the power of networking, mentorship, and encouragement at its most personal level.
“There is an educational component to this event,” Greta Hall explains. “It introduces students to people who genuinely care about their success. It opens doors and makes connections with other Penn Staters.”
An Investment in Potential
For Hall, the dinner illustrates the broader impact of the Renaissance Fund. Its influence extends far beyond helping students pay for their education.
“It is a door-opener,” she says. “For so many people, where they end up is because of their experiences at Penn State. A Renaissance Fund scholarship is not just investing in education, but in everything else — leadership opportunities, networking, figuring out your career path, how you are going to give back after you graduate. It is an investment in potential.”
For Gina Ikenberry, that investment is deeply personal.
She attended Penn State in the 1990s as a first-generation college student.
“I worked all summer and got a student loan, and I could almost pay for my tuition with what I earned over the summer and a part-time job during the school year. Today, we live in a time where students can work really hard over the summer and not even scratch the surface of a tuition payment for one semester. It really resonates with me because I remember counting my money at the end of each month so I could pay rent,” she says. “I loved my Penn State experience and wouldn’t trade it for anything. But a little bit of help would have been so nice.”
She points out that, like her, more than half of Renaissance scholars are first-generation college students — one of the reasons she feels such a personal connection to the fund.
“Many of these students are first-generation, and that’s huge,” she says. “My college experience changed the entire trajectory of my life, and I get emotional just talking about it. When I think about students at Penn State who this is happening to — they can become an inspiration to their family, their community, and be a cheerleader for Penn State.”
“How Many More Can We Help?”
On Nov. 4, the Renaissance Fund Dinner will take place, bringing together scholarship recipients, donors, alumni, and community members for an evening centered on connection and possibility.
Board member Kennedy White, herself a scholarship recipient as an undergraduate, has organized meetups with the scholars to prepare them for the dinner. For first-time attendees, sitting at a table with donors and navigating conversations with accomplished Penn Staters can feel overwhelming. At the meetups, students discuss potential talking points, including their majors, interests, and future plans.
The Renaissance scholars are preparing for more than an evening at a dinner table. They are gaining confidence, access, and opportunity. They are preparing to come face-to-face with yesterday’s Penn State students — the donors who bleed blue and white, love their communities, and are eager to help the next generation succeed.
This year, rather than honoring an individual or couple, the dinner will recognize the 50th anniversary of the fund’s signature event. It is a celebration not only of five decades of fundraising, but of the growth, relationships, and opportunities made possible for generations of Penn Staters through the dedication of donors.
“At the end of the night of the Renaissance Fund Dinner, I stand up and give the dollar amount of how much we have raised, and I see tears in people’s eyes, and Dr. Bendapudi is so proud — that’s the Penn State spirit,” Gina Ikenberry says. “Then we ask ourselves, how many more students can we benefit this year? How many more can we help? I just love that.”
Register to join the Renaissance Fund’s 50th celebration on Nov. 4, 2026, or make a gift to help shape the next 50 years of creating opportunities for the next generation of Renaissance Fund scholars. You can learn more at raise.psu.edu/renaissance and raise.psu.edu/donor-recognition/renaissance-fund. T&G
Cara Aungst is a freelance lifestyle and business journalist who writes about people, events, and how Happy Valley ideas change the world. She can be reached at caraaungst@gmail.com.
