About the Office of Development

The Office of Development works with alumni, family, friends, and institutional funders to support the university’s mission of excellence in teaching, research, and patient care and to help accelerate Stanford’s purposeful impact in the world.

Philanthropic gifts—including major gifts, annual funds, and planned gifts—make amazing things possible at Stanford. The generosity of Stanford donors enables the work of students, faculty, and researchers through undergraduate financial aid, professorships, and graduate fellowships; advances groundbreaking discoveries in science, engineering, and medicine; and fuels the social sciences, arts, and humanities.

Together, these donations help build a diverse community of scholars who are driven by curiosity and intellectual rigor—and empower them to address the most complex of global challenges.

The Office of Development is a unit within the Office of External Relations, which aligns the work of Stanford’s five externally facing teams focused on communications, engagement, philanthropy, and service.