When UC Merced launches Give to UC Merced 2025 on Dec. 2, it won’t just be about one day of giving; the month-long campaign will be about hope, opportunity and community impact.
For the 12th year, the campus joins the global Giving Tuesday movement, inviting donors to power change through the university’s UC Merced Fund. Contributions to Give to UC Merced will support the campus’s greatest needs, ensuring UC Merced has the flexibility to fund emerging opportunities, expand programs and student support initiatives, and assist promising scholars with direct financial assistance.
Every dollar raised will also count toward Boldly Forward, the campus’s 10-year comprehensive fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $200 million by 2030.
Every gift touches lives in profound ways and empowers students to thrive.
One way donations help is through direct financial aid. UC Merced has the highest percentage of Pell Grant-eligible students of all the University of California campuses, and nearly three-quarters of its student body are the first in their families to attend college.
Donor support gives students the freedom to focus on academics, research and internships, rather than financial stress.
Gifts also open doors to discovery. Research is at the heart of UC Merced’s mission, driving solutions to real-world challenges. These efforts earned UC Merced Carnegie R1 status, placing it among the nation’s top research universities.
UC Merced Fund contributions fuel this momentum. They support every facet of the campus research enterprise, including the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center, which empowers students to engage in faculty-mentored projects across disciplines. Through UROC, undergraduates receive structured training, hands-on experience, and guidance that prepares them for graduate school and competitive careers.
Donations help make it possible for students to tackle pressing questions, explore cutting-edge technologies and contribute to discoveries that shape the future.
“UC Merced's success and continuing growth stem from the generosity of our campus community, partners, alumni, family and friends,” Vice Chancellor and Chief External Relations Officer E. Edward Klotzbier said. “As the season of giving begins, we welcome both returning supporters and new donors to join us in shaping positive change and expanding opportunity for the students we serve through Give to UC Merced.”
Together, all Give to UC Merced contributions create a ripple effect, strengthening access, equity and excellence across campus. This Giving Tuesday, every gift matters. To learn more about Give to UC Merced or to participate in the fundraising initiative, visit giveto.ucmerced.edu.
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