Why Give
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
UD’s extraordinary success is fueled by the power of collective giving. Every donor and every gift makes a profound impact on the University community.
Every year, thousands of alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff and students give back to UD.
They give to change the world. They give to propel UD forward. They give for reasons as vibrant and varied as UD's people and programs. Most importantly, they give because they believe in the University of Delaware.
Why will you give? Make your gift today.
Your Generosity, Their Success
Dedicated UD donors like you help transform lives and the world by empowering students, changing campus, inspiring faculty and building a lasting legacy at the University.
MARYLAND'S BLUE HEN
Alumnus and Maryland’s Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz credits his degree with helping establish his career, ability to understand science and passion for protecting nature.
ARCTIC SCHOLAR
Professor Jonathan Cohen received a prestigious 2024-2025 Fulbright Distinguished Arctic Scholar Award to study the seasonal light cycle’s effect on Arctic organisms in Norway.
BETTER WOMEN'S FIGHTWEAR
Since receiving support from Horn Entrepreneurship, alumna Maya Nazareth has built a growing enterprise that produces gear and builds a community for women in jiu-jitsu.
ADVANCING THE ARTS
The new Department of Theatre and Dance brings together popular minors into one unit to expand and enhance performing arts education.
CHATBOT BIASES
A team of UD researchers investigated language generated by AI large language models and found that the chatbots frequently produced biased and discriminatory language.
REBUILDING FROM DESTRUCTION
After a tornado devastated his farm and home, alumnus Len Grasso leaned on the confidence and problem-solving skills he learned at UD to rebuild.
“We were really inspired by the vision of President Assanis and Dr. Kelvin Lee. They talked about how it takes some cancer patients months to get the treatment they need. In the new biopharmaceutical center, they will research how to bring much-needed medicines to market for patients much quicker, creating faster and better access to care and saving lives. This center will do so much for creating jobs, enhancing education in this field and advancing health care—the trifecta of elements that can make such a big difference for so many.”
- Marie E. Pinizzotto, M.D., BE08M
By the Numbers
From record-breaking, seven-figure gifts to thousands of two-figure gifts, every donor and every gift makes a profound impact on the University community.
100
million dollars raised in support of UD
24,930
donors to UD
2,530
gifts of $1,000 or more
61.3%
increase in donors since 2016
16
gifts of $1,000,000 or more
566
new Delaware Diamonds Society donors
FY22
“I give to education because I believe in it. When students succeed, we all succeed. My gifts enable students to gain experience in the wider world—and bring visibility to the programs that my colleagues, staff, students and alumni work hard to develop.”
- Greg Shelnutt, Chair, UD Department of Art & Design
Support your UD Passion
Your gift of any amount, to any of our 100+ funds, makes a profound difference for the University and its students.
HenFunder
Join fellow Blue Hens in supporting a cause close to your heart through HenFunder, the University’s crowdfunding platform. UD students, alumni, faculty and staff use this unique platform to raise funds for initiatives and programs that will significantly impact members of the University community.
Blue Hen Strong Fund
Gifts to the Blue Hen Strong Fund will directly and immediately address the urgent needs of our UD students to ensure their success at UD and beyond – providing success grants to cover tuition, access to technology and advancements to online learning tools, career readiness support and so much more.
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Fund
The JEDI Fund will help provide programs, resources and opportunities to cultivate educated and empowered individuals who not only understand societal challenges related to equity and social justice, but have the tools to create solutions to address them.
Explore more areas where you can make an impact.
Philanthropy is Everywhere: youtube.com/watch?v=FunQvDxHiVs
Philanthropy is Everywhere
Azhir Jones, a UD sophomore majoring in entrepreneurship, is here to set the record straight on what philanthropy really means at UD.
Alumni & Friends News and Events
LATEST NEWS
Advancing civil discourse on college campuses
Delaware Small Business Development Center helps small businesses secure funding and training they need to succeed
Learning from Frederick Douglass
Historian David W. Blight speaks at Friends of the UD Library event
Students and faculty from across the country gather at UD Biden School for SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue