The UW Foundation Parent Campaign Keeps UW–Madison Great
The mission of the UW Foundation, the fundraising arm of UW–Madison, is to engage those who care about the university and offer opportunities to financially support teaching, research, and outreach programs.
Each year, parents play a key role in building and shaping a world-class educational experience at UW. With tuition only covering 16% of the total UW budget, private support continues to be a critical need to retain the best students, faculty, and resources on campus.
Since the inception of the parent campaign in 1989, more than 125,000 parents have contributed a total of $6.8 million to the key needs on campus. In recent years, the funds were used to:
- Offer more opportunities to enhance undergraduate education, such as internships and research experiences that deepen learning and engagement and prepare students for life after college.
- Purchase several laptops that students may check out through the library.
- Provide career-related credentials through hands-on learning experiences, in laboratories on campus and through international faculty-led field courses.
- Add more study space and a computer lab to Steenbock Library.
Students will be calling parents starting at the end of January to discuss this important effort. Parents can designate their gifts to be used for specific priorities like student career services, the university libraries, leadership programs, and academic support for their student’s specific school or college.
These students are a great resource for connecting with campus, and they look forward to talking with you about current events, your son or daughter, and how you can make a difference at the UW.