Buffalo, NY – The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) honored J. Patrick Greenwald, of Canisius University, with its Earle Hannel Professional Fundraiser Award on National Philanthropy Day, Thursday, November 14. The prestigious award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding career achievements, leadership and a commitment to the fundraising profession.
Greenwald is director emeritus of donor engagement at Canisius. He retired from the university in May 2023 following a 45-year career at the institution, serving primarily as a principal gift officer. During his remarkable tenure, Greenwald secured millions of dollars in philanthropic support, which helped transform Canisius physically and academically, and elevate the university into one of Western New York’s premier educational institutions.
His efforts supported such major capital projects as the conversion of the former Sears department store on Main Street into Science Hall, the construction of Dugan Residence Hall, the restoration of the Montante Cultural Center and the development of Canisius University’s Financial Markets Lab, home to the award-winning Golden Griffin Fund team.
Some of the university’s strongest and most sought-after academic programs – business, accounting, economics and finance, and chemistry – thrived under the support of donors cultivated by Greenwald. His stewardship also led to the establishment of more than 500 endowed scholarships, including a $1 million gift to the Urban Leadership Learning Community, which help make a Canisius education possible to innumerable students.
It is fitting for Greenwald to receive the Earle Hannel Professional Fundraiser Award, as the award’s namesake was one of his early mentors. Hannel was a senior development officer at Canisius and had a profound influence on Greenwald at the onset of his career.
OLV Charities nominated Greenwald for the Earle Hannel Professional Fundraiser Award. He serves as a member of the board, lending his acumen to the organization’s Capital Campaign Executive Committee and Advancement Committee. Greenwald is also helping OLV develop a Planned Giving Council.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
