A male and female, dressed in blue robes, smile at their graduation from the University of Delaware.

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 help transform lives and the world by empowering students, changing campus, inspiring faculty and building a lasting legacy at the University.
 

Throws athlete Emarie Jackson from the University of Delaware track & field team placed third in the shot put at the USATF U20 Championships on Friday.

CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCES

Rising sophomores Olamide Ayeni and Emarie Jackson finished second in the discus throw and third in the shot put at the USATF U20 Championships, respectively.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory stands atop a mountain peak in Chile, from which its telescope and camera will capture extraordinary information about our universe over the next 10 years as part of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

WINDOW INTO THE UNIVERSE

Several UD researchers and students are part of Legacy Survey of Space and Time, an ambitious, multinational project to survey the entire Southern Hemisphere’s night sky.

School of Nursing Associate Professor Xiaopeng Ji (right) and Fatou Marong, who is earning her master’s in health promotion, have created Catching Zzz, a chat-based app that uses artificial intelligence and cognitive behavior therapy-based interventions to improve sleep in autistic teens.

CATCHING ZZZ

Professor Xiaopeng Ji created a chatbot that uses artificial intelligence and cognitive behavior therapy-based intervention to help autistic teens improve their sleep.

Tarang Parekh, assistant professor of epidemiology, examined links between social determinants of health (SDOH) and firearm ownership and storage practices in a recently published analysis.

FIREARM STORAGE REALITIES

Research from a team of professors and students found that financial hardship and housing and food insecurity were significantly associated with unsafe firearm storage practices.

A new study from the University of Delaware and Columbia University looked at plastic bag bans and fees in jurisdictions across the United States to gauge their effectiveness.

REDUCING SHORELINE LITTER

A study from UD and Columbia University found that areas with plastic bag bans and fees decreased the number of bags collected in shoreline cleanups.

Staff from the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays collect seed shoots from submerged aquatic vegetation in South Bethany in May 2024.

INNOVATIVE WATERWAY MANAGEMENT

UD’s Delaware Sea Grant is helping the town of Bethany manage widgeon grass, which brings a range of ecological benefits but can impact recreational waterway use.

“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 logo.

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

Blue Hen Strong Fund

 

The BHSF has evolved into UD’s leading tool for rapid-response projects. From housing grants for displaced students; to free virtual mental health counseling; to internship support for those who can’t afford to accept unpaid opportunities; to a laptop loaner program that expands access to necessary technology: the Blue Hen Strong Fund delivers immediate support to students.

Three students sit together and smile.

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.

“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

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.  

Learn More