Education & Research Fund

Show pride in the profession and support campus community builders to continue to receive professional development and access valuable membership resources into our future.

Day of Giving: Monday, December 4

The Education and Research Fund will host the ninth Annual Day of Giving on Monday, December 4. On this day, we hope that you will consider making a donation in support of the Investing in Our Profession Campaign. All proceeds from the 2023 Day of Giving will go toward completing the endowment of this fund, which will create scholarships for ACUI members to participate in the College Unions Student Affairs Certification program. Creating these scholarships will have a long-term positive impact on the profession.

Give Now

To help promote the Day of Giving, we encourage you to post about your contribution by utilizing the images below:

Investing in Our Profession

At the 2023 ACUI Annual Conference, the Investing in our Profession campaign was officially launched, now with over $150,000 pledged to support a future endowment that will provide scholarships for ACUI members to gain professional certification. This campaign with improve access for those seeking to demonstrate ongoing learning and competence in the profession—enhancing career pathways and credibility.

Scholarships Open Through December 8

ACUI is accepting nominations for 2024 scholarships and writing and research awards through December 8. Recognize your colleagues through a nomination.

Learn more abouT the campaign

Ways to Give

Your generosity makes an impact, allowing ACUI to support campus community builders to continue to receive professional development and access valuable membership resources into our future. Reoccurring or one-time gifts can be made in any amount via check or credit card to help advance campus community any time of year. Every dollar counts!

Other Ways to Give

Knot Club: I-LEAD® alumni are encouraged to donate in honor of the year attended to support the Meg Sutton I-LEAD® Scholarship, allowing future generations of student leaders to experience this life-changing program.
Conference Events: Engage supporters through donations and bids on auction items during the Annual Conference or participate in a signature event at the Annual Conference.
Matching Gifts: Employer matching programs can double or triple your gift. If your or your spouse/partner’s company has a matching program, email Fundraising Manager Justin Rudisille to learn how to best navigate options.
Named Giving: Continue the legacy of a deserving individual by making a gift in their honor or giving to a named award endowment. For information about naming opportunities, please contact ACUI CEO John Taylor.
Estate Giving: Plan your philanthropic legacy through a bequest or list the Education and Research Fund as a retirement or insurance beneficiary. Learn more by contacting ACUI Director of Finance and Administration Dave Teske.

Your gifts have an impact.

How, you ask? First, financial support from the variety of scholarships available to attend ACUI programs helps another generation of leaders further their learning and commitment to the profession.

And second, little research exists about college unions, and we want to change that. The Education and Research Fund has helped finance research on student learning through the built environment, involvement, and campus employment. This is done through offerings such as the ACUI Research and Education Grant and the Daniel M. Maxwell Dissertation of the Year Award.

“The award we received through the Financial Assistance Fund allowed us to continue being a member and remain connected at a time when information was so quickly shifting. We were able to talk about best practices, troubleshooting, and solutions in a way that felt safe, and to network with colleagues who were all going through similar (or very different) situations. Personally, it allowed me to remain an active volunteer and continue serving on the regional leadership team. My commitment to ACUI, and living those values, made me a better and more marketable professional through my job search.”

Tiffany Brodner,
Rochester Institute of Technology

“Being in the field of architectural research, I have found a lot of value being in ACUI because there is an emphasis on the pragmatic nature of how research can directly influence students. The funding allowed me to provide incentives for research participants, and being recognized and valued by an industry was personally an honor. It was important for me to learn from ACUI’s voice so I could think about it from an architectural perspective. It has had a huge impact on my way of thinking and knowing, being grounded in who the users of a building are and what their focuses are.”

Renae Mantooth,
North Carolina State University

“Receiving the Greer Dawson Wilson Scholarship reminded me of what ACUI stands for: it’s not just a professional association—it’s a family, it’s a community. When we talk about building community, this is what it means, that we are pouring into our professionals and our students. Using the funds to attend a professional development seminar, it allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals, and they poured into me the same way I try to pour into my students and colleagues. Without it, I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to think outside of box about how I can, as a woman of color, advance in this profession.”

Yakima Melton,
Arizona State University

Financial Assistance Fund

Grants are available to those whose institutional funds are lessened due to the impact of the current pandemic, allowing students and professionals to participate in ACUI programs or access needed resources. Deadline for financial assistant fund requests for the 2024 Annual Conference is January 5, 2024.

CONSIDERED EXPENSES

Limited funds remain available and will be considered on a rolling basis as received. This program will offer financial assistance up to a maximum total of $2,000 per institution within one calendar year in the form of grants supporting:

Up to $1,500 for institutional membership
Up to $1,000 for program registration fees, including:
- Annual Conference
- Seminars and Institutes
- Regional Conferences
- Online Courses

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Institutional membership funds are for renewals, not new members
Applicants must hold a current ACUI membership
Applicants must indicate budget reductions for professional development resulting from the current pandemic; supporting documentation is helpful, but a description in the application is sufficient

Multiple requests can be submitted, but the total of all awarded grants for an institution within one calendar year shall not exceed $2,000.

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