Looking for a way to make a lasting impact with your philanthropic support?  For alumni, parents, faculty, staff and other supporters of UC San Diego, giving to the public university is an opportunity to change the lives of students, researchers and faculty, as well as those in our communities and around the globe who benefit from the university’s work. 

“Private support, no matter how large or small, can make a positive impact in finding the cure for cancer, developing policies to promote global security, and setting our future doctors, engineers, artists and entrepreneurs on the pathway to success,” said Rebecca Newman, associate vice chancellor of Development at the UCSD.  “Because public universities receive just a fraction of their total annual budgets from state funding, charitable contributions are critical to the continued success of public educational institutions and enhancement of their programs and resources.”

Consider these ten giving ideas to support a public university:

1. A Gift of Any Amount: Pooled with donations from other general supporters, unrestricted gifts will help meet the university’s greatest needs.
2. A Gift of $100: Purchases a book for a campus library to help students discover information and ideas to further their academic careers.
3. A Gift of $500: Replaces worn sporting equipment for a team whose student-athletes consistently earn national recognition as all-Americans. 
4. A Gift of $1,000: Supports a graduate student’s outstanding achievement, whether it be researching a novel therapy for disease or designing a spectacular set for a play.
5. A Gift of $2,000: Pays the costs of bringing a group of underserved elementary, middle or high school students to campus to open their eyes to the possibility of attending college.
6. A Gift of $5,000: Provides a bright undergraduate student—the first in his family to attend college—with a one-year academic scholarship.
7. A Gift of $15,000: Outfits a laboratory with essential supplies for one year, so staff can work to find new discoveries which will have an impact on the entire world.
8. A Gift of $50,000 or More: Funds an endowed undergraduate scholarship that will last forever, providing support for a student in perpetuity.
9. A Gift of $180,000: Funds an MD who has completed her residency and plans to learn more about a specialized area, such as a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy. 
10. A Gift of $ 500,000 or More: Establishes a permanent endowed faculty chair or endowed graduate fellowship in your name, or in honor of a loved one, to help attract and retain Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and innovators of all kinds.

When you are thinking about your charitable giving, keep in mind that public universities – including UC San Diego – increasingly rely on private support to ensure excellence, now and in the future.