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Seniors for The Stanford Fund
Every year, the next graduating class comes together to celebrate their time on the Farm through Seniors for The Stanford Fund, a campaign that raises philanthropic support for Stanford’s exceptional undergraduate experience.
When you make a gift through Seniors for The Stanford Fund, you can choose to support an area of the university that you are passionate about. If you care about things like undergraduate financial aid, mental health resources, or community centers, we hope you’ll join us! By getting involved and giving back before graduating, you play a vital role in ensuring that student life is fulfilling for future classes.
Be sure to bookmark this page. Throughout the year you’ll find updates on giving opportunities, class event information, and highlights from the campaign, which runs from September 2024 through June 2025. Don’t miss out on this chance to celebrate with your classmates and make an impact!
Join us
If you are interested in becoming a board member, please complete this brief form.
Questions? Reach out to The Stanford Fund team at seniorsgive@stanford.edu.
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Do senior gift your way
Step 1: Choose one of two ways to give back
Donate directly through The Stanford Fund—and double your impact!
When you give through The Stanford Fund, your gift will be matched by a generous donor, doubling your impact. You can make your gift online or through Venmo @SeniorsforTheStanfordFund. When making a gift via Venmo, be sure to include your SUID# and the area(s) you wish to support in the comment section (set to private).
Turn your service hours into dollars for students
Participate in the Dollars for Doers Challenge. Every hour of volunteering you complete (up to 10 hours) unlocks $25 from generous alumni, which goes directly to students through The Stanford Fund.
Step 2: Choose where to direct your gift
This is your chance to support Stanford in the way that’s most meaningful to you.
Every senior has a unique Stanford experience. Each one of us appreciates certain things about Stanford, but there are also things that could be better, and we recognize it will take collective action to improve them. When you give through Seniors for The Stanford Fund, you can choose to support an area of the university that you’re passionate about.
Financial aid
Contribute to a more equitable future in Stanford education by supporting need-based financial aid, which benefits nearly half of all undergrads each year.
Community centers
Promote justice, belonging, and equity on campus with a gift toward the Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership.
Student social life
Sustain the campus-wide events and programming that make the Stanford experience fulfilling, unique, and fun.
Undergraduate academics
Enable all three undergraduate schools to expand class offerings and provide additional academic support for students.
Mental health resources
Increase appointment capacity at Counseling and Psychological Services, expand virtual and telephone visits, and improve community outreach.
Opportunity Fund
Help provide flexible grants for undergraduate students to cover unexpected expenses, like emergency travel or registration fees for a conference. Learn more about the Opportunity Fund.
Student groups
Support the student-led organizations that help undergraduates develop new skills, build connections, and pursue their passions.
All of the above!
Support all these important initiatives with one gift through The Stanford Fund.
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Make your gift on Venmo
@SeniorsforTheStanfordFund
Don't forget to include the following information in the comment section (set to private):
-The area(s) you wish to support
-Your SUID# (starts with 0)
2025 class impact
On behalf of the Seniors for The Stanford Fund Advisory Board, we gratefully acknowledge our classmates who have already made a gift through The Stanford Fund in honor of our final year on the Farm. We will announce our class and Dollars for Doers participation goals when we kick off the campaign later this fall. Stay tuned!
Frequently asked questions
Philanthropy literally means “goodwill to other humans.” In practice, it refers to providing support for organizations, causes, or initiatives that are important to you.
For example, a gift through The Stanford Fund allows you to give back to a community that has helped you become who you are today and ensures that the same—or better—opportunities are accessible to other students. Your philanthropy can also include your support for organizations that align with your passions, such as an animal shelter or an agency that provides relief aid during an emergency, like the California wildfires. Philanthropy is sometimes simply referred to as “giving” and can also include gifts of your time and talents.
The Stanford Fund, the annual fund for undergraduate education, provides vital flexibility for supporting students.
The majority of gifts to Stanford—and almost 80 percent of endowment funds—are restricted. Funds given for research, for example, cannot be used for financial aid. However, Stanford Fund contributions can be used to address the areas of greatest need or to meet unexpected expenses in undergraduate education.
When you give through The Stanford Fund, you can also designate what your gift supports. Options include undergraduate financial aid, mental health initiatives, academic innovation, student life, student groups, undergraduate academics, or the Opportunity Fund. Targeted gifts sustain these initiatives and allow you to advocate for an even brighter future for Stanford students.
The endowment provides a steady stream of income, but only if spending is held to about 5 percent annually. Every year, the university must fund more than three-quarters of its operating expenses—which includes financial aid, student and academic programming , and other areas integral to the undergraduate experience—from other sources, including gifts from donors.
Additionally, most of Stanford’s more than 8,000 endowed funds are designated for specific purposes, such as supporting first-generation college students or advancing a particular field of study. Stanford has a legal and fiduciary obligation to use these funds as intended.
For more details about the purpose and limitations of the endowment, we recommend this article in Stanford Magazine.
Every cause is important and no gift is too small. When seniors give through The Stanford Fund, your gifts are doubled by a generous donor, amplifying our impact on the causes that matter to us, helping to transform Stanford for future generations.
As Stanford’s soon-to-be most recent alumni, you know best how programs and initiatives impact the undergraduate experience. Giving through The Stanford Fund, no matter the size of your gift, is a way for seniors to voice your support for the undergraduate programs at Stanford that matter most to current students—and make your priorities heard.
Many philanthropists give simply because they like knowing that they are helping someone, regardless of the size of their gift. In this way, giving can have a personal impact as well.