Alumni

Annual Fund

What is the Annual Fund?

The College of Pharmacy benefits from the generosity of alumni and friends who make gifts annually in support of its people and programs. In the 2004 fiscal year, 437 gifts were made through the College's annual fund campaign totaling $51,567.

There are two ways to support the College of Pharmacy with an annual gift:

1. Gifts may be made to the College, itself, through the Annual Fund. Gifts made to this fund are "unrestricted" in that they provide funding for college-wide priorities.
2. Gifts can also be made to specialized funds.

A donor who makes annual gifts to either of these types of funds makes a positive impact on the quality of education available at the College of Pharmacy.

Why Should I Give Back? What About Tuition and State Money?

With state funding and tuition providing for less than 20% of the College's budget, private contributions and self-supporting endeavors (such as Continuing Education) support the programs that make us one of the finest colleges of pharmacy in the country and help us maintain a standard of excellence across the curriculum.

• Scholarships: Annual funds provide scholarships to students who demonstrate academic excellence.

• Professional Development: Annual funds support professional development for faculty and staff to bring cutting-edge advances to the College.

• Student Environment: Annual funds support projects such as classroom improvements, convocation at Navy Pier, visiting scholars, and other special needs.

Your support enables us to attract and retain the highest caliber of faculty and students. Your gifts help provide the quality education expected of an internationally recognized institution serving the best and brightest minds of the state of Illinois.

Why is the Annual Fund Important?

The Annual Fund provides the College with a source of unrestricted funds, which means it allows the College the flexibility to meet the changing educational needs of its students. As a current-use fund, monies are usually spent during the year they are donated. The opposite would be endowed funds where only the interest on donations is spent. Endowed funds usually have one donor while an Annual Fund is the pooled generosity of many. That is why every gift is important. The College asks for gifts via letters, student callers, and personal visits.

Why is Unrestricted Giving Important?

An unrestricted gift is simply a gift to the College of Pharmacy with no restrictions from the donor on how it is to be used. Such gifts support the College by allowing the Dean flexibility in determining how best to use the funds. This is important because she directs these funds to where they can have the greatest impact. She can address priorities and bring immediate benefits to the College as a whole by supporting student scholarships, classrooms, facilities, faculty recruitment, program initiatives, and graduation exercises.

The College's mission is to set an internationally recognized standard of excellence in teaching, research and service in pharmacy education, while remaining financially accessible to students across the state. Your unrestricted gift directly supports this mission and provides the means to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and meet challenges in a timely manner.

Can I Support a Specific Program?

Absolutely! To help departments and programs meet their most pressing needs, many alumni and friends choose to designate a gift to an established, specialized fund during the Annual Fund Campaign. Alumni and friends can also create a fund to address a specific need.

How Can I Make a Gift?

The most common ways are a credit card, check, or an electronic funds transfer (EFT). You can make a gift on-line, simply click here. Checks should be payable to the "University of Illinois Foundation/Pharmacy." Write the fund name in the memo line. For information on stock transfer or other vehicles, contact Deb Fox with questions via phone at (312) 996-0160 or via email at  pharmacy@uic.edu.

How Can I Double or Even Triple My Gift?

Hundreds of companies, large, small, local or national, match their employee's charitable donations. This is a great way to increase your dollars for the College of Pharmacy. Check this partial listing or check with your (or your spouse's) Human Resources Department to find out if your company matches donations. Let us know when you change jobs. Companies often are willing to support the University of Illinois when we can show them they have a certain number of alumni employees. To update your alumni record, contact Deb Fox in the Pharmacy Alumni Office by phone at (312) 996-0160 or by email pharmacy@uic.edu.

How Will My Gift Be Recognized?

The College of Pharmacy donors are listed in the alumni magazine, UIC Pharmacist. Donors of $1,000 or more are recognized University-wide through the Chancellor's Cabinet. If you do not want to be publicly acknowledged, please indicate this when making a gift.

Why Does My Check Go to Urbana?

In order to provide you with a tax deduction, gifts should be made to the University of Illinois Foundation. While the Foundation is housed in Urbana, it serves all three Illinois campuses (Chicago, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign). Any donation designated to support Pharmacy will go to the College 100%.

Still Have Questions about Annual Giving?

The Advancement Office staff will be happy to answer your questions. Please contact us by phone at (312) 996-0160 or by email at  pharmacy@uic.edu.