Purdue United Way launches 2026 fundraising campaign

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — This year’s Purdue United Way campaign is now underway, with the goal of raising $700,000 through Nov. 4 for local nonprofit organizations that support individuals and families in Greater Lafayette.

Campaign volunteers, university leaders, students, nonprofit partners and community members celebrated the campaign’s launch during a Sept. 23 kickoff event on the front lawn of the Purdue Memorial Union. The event, organized with support from Purdue Conferences, included information tables staffed by nonprofit partners; photo opportunities with Purdue Pete, the Boilermaker Xtra Special and the World’s Largest Drum; and live music from Rick DeSutter.

Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture and professor of agricultural and biological engineering, will lead the university’s fundraising effort as the 2026 Purdue United Way campaign champion. More about Engel’s perspective on Purdue United Way’s unique partnership with United Way of Greater Lafayette is available on the Office of Engagement’s website.

This year’s campaign theme — “What’s Possible? Building Stronger Futures Together.” — celebrates the positive outcomes that can stem from Purdue faculty, staff, retirees and friends uniting around the shared goal of strengthening the Greater Lafayette community.

Campaign funds from Purdue United Way support a network of local agencies that provide resources like food and housing for families in crisis, mental health support, adult literacy programs, and services for seniors and people with disabilities. More than 1,600 faculty and staff participated in the 2025 campaign, raising $761,162 to help ensure local individuals and families build stronger futures.

The campaign incentive drawing returns this year, offering faculty and staff the chance to be entered into drawings for a variety of gift certificates and a three-course meal at The Lawrence in Discovery Park District at Purdue. Those who respond through the donation website by clicking either the “Pledge now” or “Participate without pledging” buttons will be automatically entered into the drawing pool.

Faculty and staff can contribute through the ePledge system by either making an unrestricted gift to United Way of Greater Lafayette or donating to a specific partner agency.

To donate or learn more about the campaign, visit the Purdue United Way webpage. Questions can be directed to Lisa Duncan at llduncan@purdue.edu.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a research institution ranked among the top 10 public universities in the United States. More than 111,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. As a land-grant university committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free.