Development Toolkit

The Development Toolkit has everything fundraisers need to create a development document that looks and sounds like UGA, whether that’s a one-pager, proposal, invitation, menu of opportunity or anything in between. From templates to photography to messaging and more, the Development Toolkit provides all the elements you need to make a high-quality, on-brand document (digital or physical). If you have any questions, please reach out to Clarke Schwabe at ccschwabe@uga.edu or call directly at 706-542-8386.

Templates

Document Template – Arch

Document Template – Graphic

Document Template – Hairy

Document Template – Horizontal

Document Template – Students

Event Invite Template

Guidance

Proposal Writing Questions

Collaboration Best Practices

Assets

UGA Unit Logos

UGA Photography

UGA Schools/Colleges One-Pagers

Additional DAR One-Pagers

Stewardship Matrix one-pager

2020 State of the University materials

UGA Pocket Guide

Experiential Learning student profiles

UGA Admissions Resources

UGA Fact Book

Messaging

Development Toolkit Copy Deck

In addition to the downloadable Word document, messaging content is available as easy-to-copy text below.

The messaging section of the Development Toolkit is intended to provide a starting point for development writing. Language here has been vetted and approved, but it is highly recommended that fundraisers double-check dollar amounts and procedures listed here against those of their school, college or unit to be sure they align.

[Bracketed text indicates a customization option—choose the section(s) that works best for your document]

Impact of the Commit to Georgia Campaign

COVID-19 Response

University of Georgia

Need-based Aid

Experiential Learning

Faculty Support/Professorships/Chairs

Naming Opportunities

Merit-based Scholarships

Student Emergency Funds

Giving Societies

Impact of the Commit to Georgia Campaign

The University of Georgia launched the Commit to Georgia Campaign with an ambitious goal of $1.2 billion by 2020. UGA donors responded by giving a record-breaking amount: $1.45 billion.

But in the face of a global crisis, why does a fundraising campaign matter? Because it’s proof that when Bulldogs come together, our success is more than assured—it’s historic.

The numbers tell us this campaign was a success, but we believe the most important number in $1.45 billion is one: one professor breaking ground in vaccine research, one scholarship turning a dream school into an alma mater and one decision to make one gift, repeated 613,495 times by 175,488 people. All those ones add up: thousands of new scholarships, over 900,000 square feet of new learning space and nearly 100 new endowed faculty positions.

We live in a new world, and our challenges are unlike any we’ve seen before. But we’re ready, because of what got us here: Bulldogs.

Bulldogs who shared our vision for a university built for moments like this. Bulldogs who joined together to realize that vision and made history along the way. Bulldogs who are united by a common, enduring commitment: to our future, to each other, to Georgia.

COVID-19 Response

The latest on UGA’s response to the pandemic can be found at coronavirus.uga.edu. This resource compiles the most current information for faculty, students, parents, alumni and others in the UGA community.

University of Georgia

University of Georgia language/boilerplate is maintained by UGA Marketing and Communications and can be found on their brand.uga.edu site.

Need Based Aid

With world-class educational experiences, the unrivaled culture of Athens and classmates who become lifelong friends, a student’s time at the University of Georgia can be transformational. But what about the student who is forced to take out loans or get two or three jobs while studying, with little to no financial support from home?

During the 2018-2019 academic year, 21 percent of UGA undergraduate students received the federal Pell Grant, which is awarded to students in need across the nation. Among this group of Pell Grant recipients, 1,486 students reported a family income less than tuition and fees ($11,830 per year). For many, this means that everything in their college experience—housing, food, transportation, tuition, everything—is up to them. Some are still contributing to their family’s income on top of it all.

These students, who pursue education in the face of financial strain, should be supported. But many times, that support doesn’t come, and even when it does, it’s not always enough. The full cost of attending UGA annually is roughly $27,000, and a high-achieving student who arrives at UGA with a HOPE Scholarship and Pell Grant has about $12,000 of financial support from those sources, leaving an annual gap of around $15,000 (or $60,000 for a four-year degree).

We are committed to bridging this gap and providing immediate relief through the creation of new, endowed funds that can support a wide variety of areas such as tuition, room and board, books and supplies, or meal plans.

Every UGA student should be able to enjoy all the things that make UGA special without juggling multiple jobs on top of schoolwork. They should graduate ready to launch their careers, motivated by ambition and not onerous debt.

Quotes:

“UGA was academically and socially where I wanted to pursue my education and reach my overall goals. My scholarship is the only thing keeping me here. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to pay for my education.” –A need-based scholarship student

“My family and I were not able to afford college without the massive help that I’ve gotten through UGA.” –A need-based scholarship student

“My scholarship has helped to relieve the financial stress that I would be under without it. Because I don’t have to worry as much about funding my education, I’ve been able to gain experience on a volunteer basis rather than focusing on paid positions.” –A need-based scholarship student

Experiential Learning

In 2016, UGA became the largest public university in the country to make experiential learning a graduation requirement for all undergraduate students.

Since that time, students have fulfilled this requirement by conducting research projects through the Center for Undergraduate Research (CURO), enrolling in service-learning initiatives, participating in internships and studying abroad—all experiences that bring classroom lessons to life.

[CURO projects allow undergraduates, even first-year students, the chance to work and learn with esteemed UGA faculty from across campus, broadening their horizons and exposing them to advanced research. Recent CURO students have worked as research assistants in UGA’s Clinical Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, studied autism in African populations, analyzed Americans’ relationships between financial knowledge and physical well-being, and much more.]

[Service-learning at UGA lets students turn their classroom lessons into real-world solutions for their communities, deepening their academic understanding, fulfilling UGA’s mission to serve and fostering students’ value of community service. Service-learning coursework is available in all of UGA’s schools and colleges, and each year, students volunteer hundreds of thousands of hours in community service through these classes.]

[Internships provide some of the best career preparation of a student’s education, and UGA’s network of partnerships means that our students have the chance to connect with leading organizations in an array of fields, putting Georgia grads several steps ahead of their peers.]

[Little else expands a student’s horizons like studying abroad. Experiencing a new culture while exploring their chosen field leaves an indelible mark on a student, furthering their understanding of their subject, their world and themselves.]

The value of our commitment to experiential learning is evident in our graduates’ success: the percentage of UGA’s most recent graduating class who are employed, continuing their education or not currently seeking employment is 96 percent, beating the national average by 11 percent.

But for students of limited means, these experiences can be just out of reach. An interview suit they don’t have, lab equipment they don’t own, airfare they can’t afford: these things can make the difference between a life-changing experience and a missed opportunity.

It is a priority of the Commit to Georgia Campaign to remove the financial barriers that keep our students from pursuing these unique educational opportunities. Students across campus encounter such roadblocks, but with your support we can eliminate them so that our students are free to dream big, and then dream even bigger.

Quotes:

“When I signed up for the UGA en Buenos Aires program, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. My seven-week experience was filled with history, social awareness, hands-on learning and complete cultural immersion.” –Sehar Ali, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences

“My Disney internship was an invaluable experience, and I know that what I learned there can’t be learned in a classroom. When I went into engineering, I thought it was a self-sufficient major, but I was proven wrong at Disney. My job is collaborative and I really enjoy reaching out and meeting people.” –Avalon Kandrac, College of Engineering

“Not everyone can go outside and walk around in the woods and get paid for it. The scholarships have not only paid for activities, but eased the financial burden placed on me so that it has allowed me to get more involved in school.” –Blake Sherry, Warnell School of Forestry

“People who study abroad, they just can’t stop talking about their experience. It’s something that stays with them their entire lives. And if you talk to someone who didn’t study abroad, frequently they list it as one of the biggest regrets of their college years.” –Yana Cornish, UGA director of education abroad

Faculty Support/Professorships/Chairs

As a pioneering American research university with a land- and sea-grant mission, we are inspired to serve communities throughout our state and world.

But in order to continue addressing the global challenges facing all of us, we must expand support for the individuals at UGA who create and share knowledge for the benefit of others. It’s these individuals who are training entrepreneurs to create new businesses that will invigorate our state’s economy, who are studying infectious diseases to prevent the next outbreak and who are supporting farmers and agricultural leaders to help feed our home state and the world around us.

Endowed faculty support funds are valuable, in part, because of their flexibility. Funding can be used to assist with faculty travel, buy research equipment, supplement salary and more, according to the needs and priorities of [the school, college or unit]. Funding can also be used to bolster assistantships, thereby attracting promising students and further enhancing the faculty member’s impact on students and the university’s research enterprise.

[Establishing a named professorship helps to recruit and secure the talented individuals who will fill those roles. An endowment of $250,000 will generate incentive—in perpetuity—for leading educators and researchers to join the University of Georgia’s mission to serve our students, state and world. A named professorship catalyzes the important work our faculty undertake, spurring groundbreaking research and empowering our faculty to solve grand challenges.]

[A named distinguished professorship positions UGA to recruit the leading minds who will take on these challenges. Funded by a $500,000 endowment, a distinguished professorship grants the university a permanent advantage in securing the educators and researchers who will place UGA at the forefront of higher education and public service. Moreover, it grants a distinguished faculty member the resources to advance their field and take on the world’s grand challenges.]

[One of the strongest ways to support this effort is through the creation of a named chair. This position, funded by a $1 million endowment, grants UGA a permanent, significant recruiting tool to bring renowned, respected educators and researchers to Athens—a tremendous investment in the development of our students, the impact of our research enterprise and UGA’s ability to solve challenges in our state and the world at large.]

[The creation of a named distinguished chair signals to the world that UGA is prepared to lead the conversation on a given issue. The $2.5 million endowment backing this position enables the university to find and recruit globally recognized authorities who can have a transformational impact in their field, creating unparalleled experiences for our students and furthering UGA’s reputation as a leader in education, public service and research.]

Naming Opportunities

At the University of Georgia, one person can have an impact on generations, whether that’s a professor imparting knowledge, an administrator creating a strong institution or a donor laying the foundation for learning.

By putting your name or the name of your family, mentor, organization or loved one on a University of Georgia space, you not only etch that legacy into UGA’s history, but you provide a lasting reminder to generations of students of the support that surrounds them—the commitment not just of UGA but of the UGA family.

For more information on how naming opportunities work, visit https://dar.uga.edu/policies/nodes/view/93/UGA-Naming-Opportunities

Merit-Based Scholarships

Scholarships have the power to change lives and, by extension, our communities and the world at large. They allow the University of Georgia to commit even more deeply to those students who demonstrate excellence in and out of the classroom, the future leaders who will go on to develop revolutionary products and businesses, build on years of agricultural research or stop the spread of diseases before they become epidemics.

Those students, who could go anywhere, choose UGA because we can provide them direct pathways to unrivaled educational experiences with premier faculty in world-class facilities. UGA can only provide those things because of the support of the UGA family—together, we help promising students help the world.

The time is now to commit to these talented, inquisitive and driven students. In doing so, we will become an even stronger magnet for the sharpest learners from the broadest array of backgrounds.

By committing to helping these students through scholarship support, you can change lives and ensure a brighter future for every community touched by our university and our students.

Quotes:

“Reflecting on the things I have been able to do at Georgia, I realize that they wouldn’t have happened at any other school. Getting to travel and be involved in the UGA and Athens communities—those are experiences that can’t be replicated anywhere else.” –Maddie Dill, recipient of the merit-based UGA Foundation Fellowship

“I chose to attend UGA because of the unparalleled freedom to explore what I want to do for the rest of my life. With the financial support of the UGA Foundation Fellowship, I knew that I would be able to take risks with my education, travel the world, and end up on the other side with a degree—or two—from a well-respected institution” –Sam Tingle, recipient of the merit-based UGA Foundation Fellowship

Graduate Support

When we commit to solving grand challenges, we do so knowing that our students will play major roles in this effort. Graduate students exemplify this—they carry a heavy academic load, they teach and mentor and they are vital contributors to the university’s research enterprise. A strong research university cannot thrive without the support of first-class graduate work.

The University of Georgia has a reputation for excellence that attracts outstanding graduate students, but even with assistantships and other aid, the costs of graduate school can leave a financial gap for students to fill. Endowed fellowships created with private support give UGA a competitive edge in bringing those students to Athens.

[A named fellowship, funded by a gift of $100,000 or more, supports an outstanding student in a graduate or professional school program. Income from the fund may be used for tuition, living expenses and other special expenses incurred in the course of graduate and professional study.]

[A named distinguished fellowship, funded by a gift of $250,000 or more, supports an outstanding student in a graduate or professional school program. Income from the fund may be used for tuition, living expenses and other special expenses incurred in the course of graduate and professional study.]

But the impact of an endowed fellowship isn’t limited to the recipient. The level of graduate support at a university is often a significant factor in attracting and retaining top-flight professors, and the presence of those professors is a major factor when graduate students decide where to continue their education.

Endowed fellowships, then, are vitally important to UGA. With one gift, you can not only enhance the education and research ecosystem at the university, but you can materially affect the lives of our graduate and professional students—allowing them to focus on how they can advance their important work, not whether they can.

Research

As Georgia’s most comprehensive research institution, the University of Georgia is a research leader in a variety of fields, from plant sciences to infectious diseases to behavioral science and beyond. UGA’s research enterprise is committed to creating healthier people, a more secure future and stronger communities, and without private support, this work would not be possible.

Complex research can take years to complete, and traditional funding models often don’t account for this careful pace. Moreover, if a research team is seeking federal grants to propel their work, the amount of preliminary data that must be gathered can take even more time and money.

Because of this—along with larger state budget cuts and the decrease of available federal grants—private giving is critical to advancing UGA’s research enterprise. Your gift does this by helping UGA compete for and retain top faculty, expand graduate programs, and improve research equipment and facilities.

By committing to support research at the University of Georgia, you’re ensuring our faculty are leaders in their fields. You’re creating an incentive for trail-blazing students to attend UGA. You’re building labs that deliver transformative research to the world. You’re paving the way for new research partnerships that support industry, create new businesses, and generate new jobs.

But above all, you’re improving the lives of everyone—and everything—touched by the results of research funded through your generous gift.

Unrestricted Support

Unrestricted funds at UGA offer donors the best opportunity to support the university’s most pressing needs.

The [unrestricted fund name], one such unrestricted fund, is flexible and directed by [leaders in the benefitting area], which means that your gift goes directly to current, high-priority initiatives that touch our students’ lives. These types of gifts are used to support scholarships, travel support, special student-alumni events, day-to-day operating expenses and more. In this way, [unrestricted fund name] is the most versatile resource available to [School/College/Unit/UGA].

[The Georgia Fund for campus-wide support is the university’s overall unrestricted account. Today, 100 percent of undesignated gifts to the Georgia Fund provide students with much-needed scholarship support, creating an incredible impact on their educational experience.]

With your support, we can address the most critical needs on campus, thereby empowering our students to address the most pressing challenges facing communities near and far.

Blended Gifts

Establishing a legacy at the University of Georgia is easier than you think, and you can make an impact today, tomorrow and forever through a blended gift.

With a blended gift, which combines two or more gift types, you increase your philanthropic impact, maximize your personal tax benefits, preserve wealth for you and your family and further the university’s mission.

No matter how ambitious your charitable goals are, blended gifts offer the most effective, impactful way to reach them: immediate gifts (cash, securities, real estate, charitable lead trusts, IRA rollover) provide aid now, while deferred gifts (wills, trusts, retirement assets, life insurance, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts) build on and sustain that aid long into the future.

With blended gifts, you can make an impact far greater than ever imagined and build your UGA legacy today.

Innovation District

Georgia’s rapidly evolving economy presents great opportunities for those who are driven by possibility and determined to discover. The University of Georgia is answering that call with its next great leap forward: the Innovation District.

The Innovation District will include a wide range of facilities, programs, and services designed to inspire collaboration, discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship, ultimately making UGA—already America’s top university in bringing new products to market—a more powerful driver of economic development in Georgia.

The roots of this idea reach back to UGA’s founding, when the innovative idea to bring higher education to the public changed the course of our state forever. Today, you can find that same pioneering spirit in the first phase of the Innovation District: Studio 225 on Broad Street, which houses our booming Student Center for Entrepreneurship.

Plans for phase two are moving forward, including the renovation of a facility at the corner of Spring and South Streets—the intersection of downtown Athens and North Campus—to foster faculty entrepreneurship, industry collaboration, and experiential learning.

Over time, the fully developed Innovation District will offer:

startup spaces and resources for faculty, student, and alumni entrepreneurs;
co-working areas and amenities to foster creativity and collaboration;
customized offices for industry partners who want deeper engagement with UGA;
experiential learning programs to prepare students for the Innovation Age; and
activities and events to build a vibrant culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Innovation District will be a dynamic ecosystem, engineered to take on challenges from multiple angles, to shape discoveries into marketable solutions, and to educate the creators and innovators of the future. The District will drive economic development through novel solutions shared with the world.

Student Emergency Funds

As the world continues to reckon with coronavirus and COVID-19, UGA’s student emergency funds have become more important than ever to our most vulnerable students. In just the first three weeks following UGA’s suspension of normal operations, the Office of Student Financial Aid received more than 500 requests for undergraduate student emergency funding alone.

By contributing to undergraduate or graduate student emergency funds, you can have a powerful, direct effect on these students’ lives—providing them the means to buy food, pay rent, receive medicine and medical care, secure the technology they need to continue their education and more.

QUOTES:

“I am literally in tears right now. Thank you so much for the help, you don’t even know how much this helps my family. I don’t know how I can ever repay the kindness of UGA for this, but know whenever I get the chance I will pay it forward. Please tell all who made this happen thank you.”

“Thank you so much for this massive help. There are no words to describe how grateful I am that this resource has been made available to students, especially in a time like this. You all are much needed and eternally appreciated!”

“Thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to me and how much it will help me. Go Dawgs!”

“Thank you so much. I literally burst into tears. This is the best news I have received since this happened, and it means a lot to me. Thank you!”

Giving Societies

The University of Georgia is fortunate to be supported by many loyal donors whose gifts make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students, faculty and staff and in the communities they serve. Giving societies were formed as one way that we can show our sincerest appreciation to donors who commit to UGA and help our university improve lives everywhere.

[In 2001, UGA established three giving societies to recognize donors whose cumulative generosity has made a significant impact on our university: the Crystal Arch Society, the Abraham Baldwin Society, and the 1785 Society. These societies recognize donors whose gifts have reached more than $10 million, $5 million, and $1 million, respectively.

As part of the university’s recognition of their considerable giving, members of these societies receive a welcome packet with a presidential letter, an invitation to the annual Presidents Club Reception, a listing on the historic donor wall in the Presidents Garden at Old College on North Campus, and additional stewardship from the schools and colleges that the donor supports.

Recognition is calculated by university-wide lifetime giving and includes gifts made to Athletic Ticket Priority funds. Open pledge balances and documented planned gifts do not qualify donors for Cumulative Giving Society membership. Planned gifts qualify upon realization.]

[Established in 1973, the Presidents Club is comprised of alumni and friends whose annual support totals $1,500 or more each fiscal year. Their collective generosity makes an immediate impact and serves as an endorsement of UGA and our commitment to inspire future leaders, advance global research, and improve lives everywhere.

As part of the university’s recognition of their giving, Presidents Club members receive a Presidents Club pin and decal, a bi-annual digital newsletter detailing the impact of the Presidents Club’s generosity, and an invitation to the Presidents Club Reception.

Recognition is calculated by university-wide annual giving during the fiscal year (July 1-June 30) and does not include gifts made to Athletic Ticket Priority funds. Open pledge balances and documented planned gifts do not qualify donors for Presidents Club membership.]

[The Heritage Society was established by the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees in 1995 to recognize the generosity of alumni and friends who have documented a deferred gift to benefit the University of Georgia, University of Georgia Foundation, or one of its affiliated organizations.

The trustees felt that additional recognition was appropriate, not just to offer thanks to these donors, but to provide historical context to the magnitude of their generosity. Further, Heritage Society membership demonstrates for alumni and friends who may be considering a deferred commitment that this is a superb avenue through which to support the university, its students and faculty in perpetuity.]

[The 1961 Club, named for the year of desegregation at the University of Georgia, is a special group of donors who share a passion for ensuring undergraduate student success.

Members of The 1961 Club support the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund with a gift of $19.61, $196.10, or $1,961. By working to eliminate financial obstacles, The 1961 Club removes barriers to education and keeps the doors open for students to attain a quality education.

All members of The 1961 Club receive a decal and the Black Alumni newsletter. Members giving $196.10 or more in a fiscal year receive an additional lapel pin, and members giving $1,961 or more in a fiscal year enjoy benefits of Presidents Club.]

UGA Foundation

gifts@uga.edu

706-542-6677

EIN/Tax ID: 58-6033837