Ahead of schedule and beyond goal: Campaign for Bloomsburg tops $100M

The Bloomsburg University Foundation, in partnership with Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg, has officially surpassed the $100 million goal for The Campaign for Bloomsburg: It Starts With Us more than a year ahead of schedule.

The milestone was achieved through an extraordinary gift from Bloomsburg University Foundation Board of Directors member Maria Cannon and her husband, Rick. Cannon’s gift, valued at $5.75 million, will support student scholarships at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg and propel the campaign beyond its goal.

The campaign’s total now stands at $103,777,091, marking a historic milestone for the Bloomsburg University Foundation and the thousands of alumni, donors and friends whose generosity made the achievement possible.

Publicly launched in October 2024, The Campaign for Bloomsburg: It Starts With Us was projected to reach its $100 million goal by June 30, 2027. Centered around the campaign’s three strategic pillars – Attract, Elevate and Prepare – the effort has supported scholarships, academic programs, student experiences, facilities and opportunities that help students succeed both during and after their time at Bloomsburg.

“I want to thank Julie Breiner and Steve Jones for co-chairing this campaign and the entire BU Foundation board and staff for their incredible work,” said Jeff Osgood, Commonwealth University president. “This moment is not just about surpassing the $100M mark, it’s about celebrating a community that believes deeply in supporting our students. The success of this campaign is going to change the next generation of students’ lives, and it demonstrates the powerful impact Bloomsburg’s alumni and supporters can have.”

Cannon’s commitment will support the Charles and Margaret Baron Football Scholarship and the newly established Charles and Margaret Baron Education Scholarship, creating lasting opportunities for future Huskies pursuing their academic and career goals.

“The values our parents instilled in us around faith and family, a commitment to education and work ethic, have afforded us tremendous blessings,” said Maria Cannon. “As Rick and I, and my sister, Andrea, have discussed how we can honor our parents’ legacy, Bloomsburg is where we decided to do that, because Bloomsburg gave my parents the opportunity to achieve what they achieved, and they passed that along to us.”

“This is an extraordinary moment for Bloomsburg,” said Julie Breiner ’77, campaign steering committee co-chair. “To see our alumni, donors and friends rally together in support of students in such a meaningful way has been incredibly inspiring.”

“Reaching and surpassing this goal ahead of schedule speaks volumes about the passion people have for Bloomsburg and the belief they have in the impact this university continues to make,” said Steve Jones ’83, campaign steering committee co-chair.

The campaign’s success comes despite significant challenges faced throughout the higher education landscape during the campaign period.

“When we established this ambitious goal, we knew it would require tremendous support and momentum, but we certainly could not have predicted all of the headwinds we would face along the way,” said Erik Evans, vice president for advancement. “What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that, like Huskies always do, our alumni and supporters rose to the challenge. Not only did they help us meet this historic goal, they helped us exceed it more than a year ahead of schedule.”

Jerome Dvorak, executive director of the Bloomsburg University Foundation, said the campaign reflects the unwavering generosity of the Bloomsburg community.

“I continue to be inspired by the generosity of our alumni and donors,” Dvorak said. “At a time when many are questioning the value of higher education, our supporters continue to demonstrate a strong belief in what a Bloomsburg education can make possible for students. Reaching this milestone reflects a community that understands the importance of investing in opportunity, potential and helping students build brighter futures for themselves and their families.”

Since the campaign’s public launch, donors have supported scholarships, academic innovation, student experiences, athletics, facilities enhancements and numerous initiatives designed to strengthen the student experience and elevate opportunities for future Huskies.

Although the campaign goal has now been exceeded, fundraising efforts will continue with a focus on creating opportunities and advancing priorities that benefit CU students.

For more information about The Campaign for Bloomsburg: It Starts With Us, visit giving.bloomu.edu/ItStartsWithUs.