Nick’s family would appreciate donations made to either of the following organizations:

• Nick Jesdanun Summer Opportunity Fund at Swarthmore College

• Central Park Conservancy

Swarthmore College Fund

The Nick Jesdanun ‘91 Memorial Summer Opportunity Fellowship honors Nick’s contributions to the Swarthmore community with an endowed, named summer opportunity fund. During his years at Swarthmore, Nick worked at the Phoenix as a reporter, a news editor, and finally as co-editor-in-chief in 1989. In all these roles he brought a professionalism to the college newsroom, insisting on primary sources, excellent prose and thorough attribution. He also proved a patient teacher of reporting and writing to younger staffers. After graduating, Nick served as the 1991 class secretary, chronicling the lives of the members of the class for almost thirty years. 

Nick’s fund supports summer opportunities as part of the Richard Rubin Mentoring Program, which connects students who need advice and access to college resources with faculty mentors and support for summer internships. Nick’s fund will support summer opportunities for students interested in journalism, technology, and/or public policy.

To make a one-time donation to the summer opportunity fund, please visit Swarthmore College’s online giving site. To ensure proper credit towards Nick’s fund, please make sure that the gift amount is in the Other field and that “Nick Jesdanun '91 Memorial Summer Opportunity fund” is in the Designation field, like so:

For other donation methods (such as pledging for a date in the future, or making a recurring gift), donors may also use Swarthmore College's pledge form.

Central Park Conservancy

Nick was a true New Yorker, and Central Park held a special place in his heart. The Central Park Conservancy raises funds in order to maintain the grounds, keeping the park beautiful, clean, and accessible to over 35 million visitors every year.

We felt it would be a fitting tribute to support this public space, while at the same time making Nick a permanent fixture in the park via the Central Park Conservancy’s “Adopt-a-Bench” program. We hope to select a bench along the final mile of the New York City Marathon, so that he can cheer all of his friends on as they cross the finish line.

UPDATE: Thanks to all of you, we’ve reached our goal early and would appreciate people considering donating to the Swarthmore fund instead. That said, the Conservancy’s mission is so worthwhile and Central Park was so meaningful to Nick that we would be grateful for your support to either organization. Please visit our fundraising page for more information!