The Pay It Forward Philanthropy Initiative at SUNY Empire State College is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging students, alumni, faculty and staff to seek imaginative ways to engage and give back to the college and the communities where they live, work, teach and learn.

Pay It Forward is part of the strategic vision of SUNY Empire’s Alumni Student Federation Board of Governors to promote collegewide philanthropic efforts and establish a lifelong sense of community.

Pay It Forward’s first effort is a collaboration with the college’s Office of Collegewide Student Services to support Ronald McDonald House Charities, starting at the 2016 Student Academic Conference (StAC 2016), which will be held Friday-Saturday, Oct. 21-22, at the Radisson Hotel, Albany. Students attending StAC 2016 will be encouraged to support Ronald McDonald House and to visit the Pay It Forward table to learn about many other volunteer and philanthropic opportunities.

Eight Ronald McDonald Houses are located in New York and Pay It Forward student volunteers are in the process of placing collection boxes at college locations throughout the state that are in close proximity to each house. Collection boxes will remain available at college locations through the week beginning Monday, Nov. 21.

Members of the college community interested in participating in current and future charitable and community volunteer efforts are invited to join the college’s Pay It Forward Facebook group page.