How donations are used

A funding crisis in public higher education gives donations from dedicated alumni even greater significance. Like the UW, the School of Journalism & Mass Communication will not absolve the state of its responsibility to fund public higher education by supplanting that funding with private donations, but such donations allow the School to move beyond core offerings and provide a deeper, richer academic environment.

Alumni donations benefit:

Undergraduate students: Dozens of students receive J-School scholarships each year thanks to alumni donations. These funds are granted on the basis of academic and professional excellence as well as financial need.

Graduate students: Alumni donations also fund graduate fellowships, allowing some of the most promising future communicators to perform cutting-edge research.

J-School facilities: It is critical that our students have the opportunity to practice their skills on the equipment that they will encounter in the field. Alumni donations allow J-School facilities to stay current with changes in technology and provide a complete education.

Student services: Donations have allowed the J-School to broaden its internship and career guidance services, bring in special speakers and provide greater opportunities for students to learn more about the field of communications

J-School education: The number of faculty and teaching staff is down 33 percent from a decade ago. Alumni donations can endow a professorship, allowing a greater range of undergraduate and graduate course offerings.

Donations make a significant impact on the entire School. However, they also may make an impact on one person. Read more about how your donations made a difference in the life of one J-School student.