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The Stanford Fund 2021-22 Impact Report

Every student, every year

The support you provide through The Stanford Fund benefits every undergraduate, year after year. That’s more than 7,800 students impacted by your generosity in 2021–22 alone.

Thank you for giving them the gift of Stanford.

See what you helped accomplish this year:

20,7000 donors

Together, you made a difference for a new generation of students

The philanthropy of Stanford community members has played a vital role since the university’s founding days. More than 20,000 alumni, parents, and friends came together to support undergraduates in fiscal year 2022. Of this total, 67% were alumni, 17% were alumni celebrating a reunion, 12% were parents, and 4% were friends.

87% financial aid, 7% academic programs, 6% student life

Your gift through The Stanford Fund benefits the whole student

Gifts through The Stanford Fund are allocated at the discretion of the Office of the President, with a focus on meeting urgent needs and funding innovative new programs for undergraduate students. By supporting comprehensive financial aid, academic programs, campus community and well-being initiatives, and student-led organizations, you provide the tools students need to develop their talents and lead lives of purpose.

Financial Aid: You expanded access and created a vibrant campus environment

1 in 4

1 in 4 undergraduates pays zero tuition

Scholarship support from Stanford fully covers tuition for families with incomes below $150,000. For families with incomes below $75,000, Stanford also covers room and board.

2022 compared to 2006 is much higher

Stanford’s financial aid budget has more than tripled since 2006

From the university’s earliest years, every Stanford education has been supported by donations, first from its founders and then from alumni, parents, and friends. Keeping this commitment to access and affordability remains one of the university’s highest priorities, and it is not possible without the partnership of donors like you.

495 stanford fund scholarships

Your gifts through The Stanford Fund provided an additional 495 life-changing scholarships this past year

Once students are admitted, Stanford meets their demonstrated financial need through scholarships, not loans, making it possible for more seniors to depart Stanford debt-free.

Testimonials

“I decided to come here because I thought Stanford would be the best place for me to grow and pursue what I found important. Because I thought it was full of kind, loving, and passionate people who were all insanely talented and driven. And, critically, because The Stanford Fund made it possible for me to come here. I got to choose where I spent my next four years based on what I wanted in life, not on what I could pay.”

Sudharsan Sundar, ’25

Sudharsan Sundar

Student life: You equipped all students to thrive

The Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership

You cultivate well-being and belonging by providing resources to the seven community centers on campus: The Asian American Activities Center, The Black Community Services Center, El Centro Chicano y Latino, The Markaz Resource Center, The Native American Cultural Center, Queer Student Resources, and The Women’s Community Center. Each center works to advance equity at the university, deepen intellectual engagement, and ensure that Stanford is a place where all students can thrive.

The Leland Scholars Program

The Leland Scholars Program offers a cost-free bridge from high school to college for promising students who may be the first in their families to attend college or who attended under-resourced schools. Incoming frosh participate in a carefully crafted four-week schedule of activities, coursework, and seminars designed to facilitate their transition to Stanford. Students cite the crucial role this program plays in helping them form a sense of community in their early days at Stanford and preparing them to continue their academic success. 

The Opportunity Fund

The Opportunity Fund is a resource made possible by donor support through the First-Gen and/or Low Income Office (FLI). With your help, the FLI Office assists students with expenses that are not covered through traditional financial aid, such as fees associated with summer internships, graduate school preparations, and travel for family attendance at major campus events. Your generosity also helps students meet unexpected needs like emergency travel.

135 student led groups

The Partnership Program

135 student-led organizations—including performing arts clubs, public service groups, and club sports teams—receive support through The Stanford Fund. Your gift allows students to attend conferences and tournaments, produce art and theater, purchase essential equipment, and host cultural events. Participation in student groups creates a crucial sense of belonging and facilitates personal growth for students.

Video: "Believer / Duaa" by Stanford Raagapella

The Solidarity Fund

With your gift, you supported the Solidarity Fund, a program started by the Office of Student Engagement in response to racial injustice and inequity in our communities. Last year, your generosity supported student-run organizations in their efforts to promote justice on campus and celebrate Black culture in our community. With funding through this program, students were able to host events with Black artists, promote inclusion and self-care, and provide a community space where all are welcome. 

Social Life Initiatives

With support from alumni and friends, as well as The Stanford Fund, efforts to strengthen the social environment and culture on campus are well underway. The alumni- and student-led Social Life Accelerator Task Force is partnering with the university to improve student engagement and student life on campus. Pilot projects included launching The Arbor, a pub located behind Tresidder, and a series of large-scale campus events, including Farm Fest, an outdoor festival featuring food and music.

The Office for Military Affiliated Communities

The Office for Military Affiliated Communities (OMAC) administers Department of Veterans Affairs financial benefits, organizes educational opportunities for student veterans, and helps build a sense of community for veterans and their families on campus. OMAC also assists student veterans, their dependents, and ROTC cadets in successfully transitioning into and out of the Stanford community by connecting students to community resources. Your gift makes a difference for the nearly 100 student veterans who receive support through OMAC.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Stanford Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is dedicated to student mental health and well-being. Gifts through The Stanford Fund help expand appointment capacity to assist students in need and enable the hiring of additional CAPS counselors with specialized experience, such as substance abuse and addiction support.  

Doing theater in-person again has completely rejuvenated my spirit and allowed me to reconnect with friends. Seeing our amazingly beautiful show come to fruition in the Elliott Program Center, and not in a Zoom meeting room, brought me to tears many times over the past year and has reminded me why I love theater. None of this would be possible without the generous contributions from Stanford Fund donors, so thank you very much.

Lizzie Avila, ’23

Avila

Academics: You sustained transformative learning experiences

Undergraduate Schools

Stanford Fund donors support innovative and engaging courses across campus, from the arts and humanities to engineering and the sciences, within all undergraduate schools. You provide much-needed, flexible funding to meet the demand for unexpected or increased course enrollments across several majors. You also help support the School of Engineering’s highly successful coterminal program, enabling dozens of undergraduate students to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees simultaneously. 

Cardinal Service

Gifts through The Stanford Fund support immersive experiences that open students’ minds to a breadth of ideas and put their values into action. These include Cardinal Service, a group of programs that enable students to integrate academic learning with hands-on public service internships and fellowships. Through participation in Cardinal Service, students gain the creativity, skills, and fundamental values they need to build a better world.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Inquiry, investigation, and discovery have long been the hallmarks of a Stanford education. Your gift supports undergraduate research programs in Stanford Engineering, Stanford Earth (part of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability as of fall 2022), and the Physics Department. Through these programs, students perform cutting-edge research, contribute to advances in human knowledge, and develop close relationships with professors. Participation is often cited as one of the factors in a Stanford student’s decision to pursue a graduate degree.

Video: 2022 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

Service: You promoted public welfare and inspired acts of service

1,173 hours volunteered in the community

$29,362 dollars raised for students

Stanford’s purpose has always been to advance the social good by educating students to be principled citizens and leaders. In this spirit, graduating seniors and recent alumni participated in the second annual Dollars for Doers Challenge last year. Thanks to the generosity of alumni sponsors, seniors and recent graduates were able to unlock challenge dollars by volunteering their time with local non-profit organizations. Participating volunteers were then able to donate the challenge funds to an area of Stanford that was meaningful to them.

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Why I Give

While I was at Stanford, I was a member of a number of clubs that benefited from generous alumni gifts. I wouldn't have been able to have those incredible experiences without Stanford alumni giving back—it only made sense for me to do the same years later!

Bryce Kam, ’12

Bryce Kam

So much of my life was enriched by coming to Stanford. I am grateful for my experience, and I feel responsible to give back for so much that I've received over the past 25 years. My own education and life were enriched by those who had given before I went to Stanford, and I’m hopeful that my gift may have a small impact on the lives of future Stanford students.

Shadi Aryanpour Farokhzad, ’97

Shadi Farokhzad

My four years at Stanford gave me more than I could have imagined—I even married one of my classmates! Making that first gift to Stanford 30 years ago was an easy decision, and the subsequent gifts bring me even more joy. I feel good knowing that I am doing something to help Stanford grow even more.

Rey Bosita, ’92

Rey Bosita

We are constantly amazed by Stanford’s efforts to foster students' growth in learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship. We are delighted to support The Stanford Fund because it can flexibly apply the resources to sustain and expand that growth in a timely manner. From providing financial aid to supporting student organizations and expanding programs for first-gen students, The Stanford Fund helps ensure students’ needs are met. We feel happy to make a difference, no matter how small, in helping students to pursue their dreams. 

May Chen and Yabo Lin, Parents ’22

May Chen and Yabo Lin