A smorgasbord of options
Giving at Boston University is simple. Each year, alumni, students, parents, and friends choose to help fund research, provide emergency student assistance, pay for travel to academic conferences, and lots more throughout the year.
The best part? Our donors get to say where the money goes. And there are lots of incredible causes at our University.
By supporting the causes at BU that you care about most, you’re not only helping to make the University the best it can be for students and faculty—you’re also doing your part to increase the value of a Boston University degree: The more alumni who give back, the higher BU’s national rankings.
So browse through the list of causes below, find one that you’re passionate about, and give back to make BU great for the next generation of Terriers—and for you!
School & college funds
- Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- College of Arts & Sciences
- College of Communication
- College of Fine Arts
- College of General Studies
- College of Engineering
- College of Practical Arts & Letters
The PAL Fund is used to enhance and support the University’s extensive library system, the cornerstone of a superior educational institution. - College of General Studies
- Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences
- Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies
- Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
- Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
- Kilachand Honors College
- Metropolitan College
- Questrom School of Business
- Questrom Graduate School of Business
- College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
- Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
- School of Hospitality Administration
- School of Law
- School of Nursing
Gifts made to the SON Fund at Boston University will be used to uphold the vision and goals of the Nursing Archives, which include:- Preserving the history of the nursing profession and documenting the lives and work of those who were a vital part of its evolution
- Preserving, cataloging, and maintaining materials that provide a vital resource to scholars researching nursing history, military history, and women’s issues
- Exhibiting materials and providing reference support to researchers
- School of Public Health
- School of Social Work
- School of Theology
Popular funds
- Athletics
- Boston University Academy
- Center for Global Health & Development
- Friends of BU Bands
- Friends of Visual Arts
- Friends of Theatre Arts
- Friends of Music
- Hillel House Gift Fund
- Lu Lingzi Scholarship Fund A memorial scholarship fund established at BU in the name of Lu Lingzi (GRS’13), the BU graduate student who was one of three people killed during the Boston Marathon bomb attacks on April 15, 2013.
- Marsh Chapel
- Mugar Memorial Library
- Scholarships
- Student Life Fund
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
- WBUR WBUR is Boston’s NPR news station. Located on BU’s Charles River campus, WBUR produces nationally syndicated NPR programs including On Point, Here & Now, and Only A Game, as well as Radio Boston.
Cause-based funds
- Bionic Pancreas
Gifts to this fund support a team of researchers working to develop a bionic pancreas to make decisions about insulin and glucagon dosing automatically every five minutes. - Community Service Center
The Community Service Center is committed to providing the BU community with opportunities to address and improve critical concerns of Greater Boston and beyond. - Reach is a five-week program that trains teen apprentices in dance and choreography, helping them to develop essential skills in a structured educational environment. Thousands of urban youth get a quality art experience when they tour with professionals.
- EPIC
The Engineering Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a pioneering facility that helps address a critical need in the US: the training of prospective engineers who understand how to develop and manufacture innovative new products. - Favorite Poem Project
The Favorite Poem Project is dedicated to celebrating, documenting, and encouraging poetry’s role in Americans’ lives. - General Scholarship Fund
The General Scholarship Fund provides aid to BU students. The more money that is available for scholarships, the more students that can be supported by this fund. - Whichever sport you choose, you can give your team(s) the edge with gifts that support expanded travel and scheduling opportunities, facility and program enhancements, elite team training, increased support services, and more.
- Judaic Studies
The Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies offers interdisciplinary programs in Jewish studies on the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduate students from all BU colleges can pursue a minor in Jewish studies or take courses as electives. Graduate students can affiliate with the Center. - Marine Studies
The Boston University Marine Program (BUMP) provides a rigorous, interdisciplinary education in marine science. While the typical science curriculum teaches students about science, BUMP teaches undergraduates how to be scientists. - The Naval ROTC
The Naval ROTC (NROTC) program at BU is one of the nation’s best and largest commissioning sources for Navy and Marine Corps officers. Your gift supports this NROTC program. (You can also support BU’s Air Force ROTC program and our Army ROTC program.
- Outreach Van
The Outreach Van works to fulfill the unmet needs of medically underserved populations in the Greater Boston area, particularly with regard to healthcare and access to services. The Outreach Van provides a constant and dependable resource, establishing a sense of trust with our clients while offering an opportunity for students to learn skills in community outreach. - Photojournalism
Gifts to the photojournalism program through the College of Communication provide support to students, faculty, programs, and research. - BU Spark Program
BU Spark! is a technology incubator and experiential learning lab for computational and data-driven projects. Housed at the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, BU Spark! helps students realize their potential by providing access to resources, knowledge, and expert networks to support their innovation and applied learning journeys. - Quantum Optics Information Processing and Communications
The Quantum Optics Information Processing and Communications Fund—in the College of Engineering’s electrical and computer engineering department—supports research activities related to experimental optics, quantum information processing, and quantum communication. - WTBU WTBU is BU’s student-run, volunteer radio station, which broadcasts live 20 hours a day, and the three-time winner of CMJ’s College Radio Station of the year.
- Student Affairs Fund
Support the vibrant, one-of-a-kind student life at Boston University.
- BU Tanglewood Institute
The Boston University Tanglewood Institute is recognized internationally as one of the premier summer training programs for aspiring high school–age musicians and is the only program of its kind associated with one of the world’s great symphony orchestras. - University Support Fund
The University Support Fund, or “Area of Greatest Need” Fund, supports everything from light bulbs and desks, to computers and printers, to student aid, to athletics and beyond. It’s an opportunity to make an immediate difference at Boston University.