For the past decade, UCSF has placed among the top 10 colleges and universities in the country for charitable contributions received. This results from your incredible work and the strong relationships you develop with the supporters you meet in our labs, hospitals, clinics, classrooms, and in the community.
When opportunities for philanthropic support arise, our team in the Office of University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) is here to help. Once you identify a prospective donor, here are the next steps to take:
- Contact your department chair to discuss how philanthropic support can have an impact on your program or the department’s mission.
- Your department chair will refer you to a UDAR development officer. The development officer should always serve as your primary point of contact for fundraising communications with donors and prospects.
- Your development officer will work with you to develop giving options and a strategy for inspiring the donor to support UCSF and your work.
- Together, you will gather important information about your program or research and create materials based on the donor’s needs to request a gift.
- The donor gives a gift to support your work!
About UDAR
The UCSF Office of University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) administers all financial donations for the university. Our office is centrally funded, and donor passion drives much of our work.
UDAR’s goal is to provide faculty and staff members with the support needed to secure crucial funding for your work and programs. This includes:
- Acting as your main point of contact with donors.
- Identifying and engaging prospective donors.
- Partnering with leadership, faculty, staff, and volunteers to present a case for investment.
Note: UDAR does not set university priorities, direct donors to give to specific programs, or handle marketing and public affairs.
Other Giving Options
Friends of UCSF can create a lasting legacy by including a bequest provision in their wills or revocable trusts. To learn more, contact UDAR’s Office of Gift and Endowment Planning at (415) 476-1475 or giftplanning@ucsf.edu.
Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR)
The CFR team connects institutional funders with the UCSF faculty members and staff whose projects and initiatives best align with their goals.
Crowdfunding allows us to solicit relatively small donations from a large number of people, typically via the internet. If you are interested in starting a crowdfunding campaign to support your research, or if you know a grateful patient or family member who would like to crowdfund for UCSF, please visit together.ucsf.edu for more inforation.
Philanthropy Training
UDAR hosts periodic fundraising training sessions for faculty members and teams. Nearly 600 UCSF faculty members have undergone fundraising training since 2007.
These sessions guide you in many aspects of philanthropy, including how to:
- Recognize prospective donors.
- Make referrals to a development officer.
- Communicate your vision and goals.
- Incorporate specialized content on fundraising for basic research.
- Fundraise as new leaders (e.g., for a specific school, program, center, etc.).
If you are interested in learning opportunities, please contact your department chair.
Watch the recording of the June 16, 2026, Faculty Philanthropy Workshop (MyAccess login required)
*Faculty Panel starts at 27:13 on the video timeline.
Stewardship for Endowed and Distinguished Professorships
UCSF’s endowment includes more than 400 endowed chairs and professorships. Donors who contribute to a professorship are particularly passionate about the impact of their philanthropy and look forward to receiving updated information about the causes they support. The tool kit linked below includes answers to frequently asked questions about how you can help ensure that these donors are well stewarded.
Endowed and Distinguished Professorship Stewardship Tool Kit
For other gifts, in return for their philanthropic contributions, donors expect that UCSF will use their gifts for the purposes intended, as well as provide appropriate acknowledgement and stewardship.
General Policy Documents
Authority to Solicit Gifts and Private Grants
As stewards of our patients' privacy and trust, we must ensure that any outreach involving patient populations is conducted in accordance with UCSF policy. Any patient-related outreach must be coordinated in partnership with UDAR, which can help ensure compliance with privacy requirements and institutional policies.
UCSF’s endowment comprises more than 1,000 individual funds established by our most generous donors. This list includes the minimums required to endow certain types of funds at UCSF.
Infrastructure and Operations Fund (I&O) FAQs
The Infrastructure and Operations Fund helps ensure UCSF’s financial sustainability. The I&O Fund uses a 10% assessment on each restricted gift to help pay for the facilities, infrastructure, and core administrative costs required to carry out the purpose of that gift.
