The Momentum Campaign is a powerful effort to advance the institution’s commitment to academic excellence through strategic investment in people, programs and facilities. The campaign specifically seeks to raise funds to continue to enhance undergraduate and graduate academic programs; improve ties to alumni and the South Florida community; construct state-of-the-art academic and research facilities; retain and recruit world-class faculty; attract top tier students; and create innovative interdisciplinary activities.

All of these plans have been under discussion by the campus community and carefully reviewed by the Board of Trustees. Accomplishing these goals will maintain the University of Miami’s leadership role in academics, research, and community service well into the twenty-first century.

How does The Momentum Campaign differ from the last one?

The Campaign for the University of Miami concluded in 1990, raising funds for endowment, facilities and equipment, and annual operations. It is very difficult to compare the two campaigns’ fund raising goals because generally accepted accounting standards have been revised over the past decade. (Things counted during fund raising campaigns in the 1980s—grants and contracts, for instance—are no longer included.) While much has changed in accounting practices and in our society, UM remains committed to its academic, research, and public service missions. In the same way that the global marketplace continues to expand, we too must expand or be left behind. Through the Momentum Campaign, we will reinforce our curricula, strengthen support for faculty and students, and provide the facilities necessary to be a leading intellectual resource in a global community.

Why doesn’t UM spend more of its endowment to fund its needs? Why does it need another $1.25 billion?

Unfortunately, the University is significantly under-endowed due primarily to its relative youth - we simply have not had as much time as other institutions to build our endowment. UM's endowment, which stood at $438.2 million as of May 31, 2002, supports only 2% of the university's annual operating budget.

Because tuition pays for only 81 percent of the total cost of a student's education, a strong endowment is crucial for maintaining the quality and affordability of a Miami education.  Furthermore, capital expenditures for new facilities and major restoration are not included in the University's annual budget. Major new projects, such as the renovation and expansion of the University Center and the new Alumni Center, can happen only through special gifts from alumni and friends.

For more information on endowments at the University of Miami, please visit our Creating Endowments page.

What are some of the specific ways that the University of Miami experience will be enriched?

• Increased opportunities for study abroad and student-faculty research;
• New programs in such emerging fields as Bioinformatics and Ecosystem Science and Policy;
• New and expanded academic and research facilities that will allow for strengthened programs, increases in faculty, and upgrades in technology;
• Increased scholarships and fellowships to recruit and retain top-tier undergraduate and graduate students;
• New lecture series, publications and outreach efforts that will foster community collaboration and celebration; and
• Increased support for interdisciplinary studies, which will place the University in the forefront of contemporary academic discussion.

What is the role of the Annual Fund in The Momentum Campaign?

Among the campaign’s goals, it specifically seeks to improve ties to alumni and the South Florida community. One of the challenges faced at the University of Miami is increasing our record of alumni involvement. A measure of involvement is participation in the Annual Fund. Alumni and friends will be asked to support the campaign every year through the Annual Fund. Annual, unrestricted gifts count toward campaign and class totals. These gifts support the current year's highest priorities while helping to maintain a balanced budget. They also support competitive salaries for a world-class faculty, the latest educational technology, library acquisitions, and preservation of buildings and grounds. In addition, the Annual Fund allows the University the flexibility to address urgent needs and take advantage of unexpected opportunities.

Does that mean the University of Miami is asking for two gifts?

Every gift, of any size, to the Annual Fund is a gift to the campaign. In addition, donors may choose to support other priorities of The Momentum Campaign with specially designated gifts.

How do I make a gift? Is there a different process during the campaign?

The gift process is essentially the same as it has always been. The University of Miami gratefully accepts cash, checks, credit cards, and stock transfers.

Outright Gifts

Outright gifts - such as cash, securities or other property - have an immediate impact, providing the University with much-needed financial assistance to support a variety of current needs.

Pledges

A pledge is a formal statement of intention to make a gift to UM. This method often allows donors to give more generously than they may have originally considered. Whenever possible, the University of Miami encourages full payment of pledges within five years of the original commitment.

Gifts with Retained Interest

Your gift to UM can allow you to hold an interest in that gift for your lifetime or for a specified term of years. After that time, the funds become available to the University. For example, you can set up a charitable trust that allows you to receive income from that trust for a specified period, or for life. For further information about setting up a charitable trust, visit the Office of Estate and Gift Planning page.

Unrestricted Gifts

Unrestricted gifts provide flexibility and can be used at the discretion of the dean or president to meet changing or urgent needs such as library acquisitions, state-of-the-art technology and equipment or new research initiatives.

Endowed Gifts

An endowment is a fund that is maintained in perpetuity, and only a portion of the annual investment return is used for the purposes specified by the donor. The rest of the investment yield is returned to principal. Such endowments, which typically bear the name of the donor or donors, reflect your interests and serve as an enduring testament to your generosity. For more information, please visit the Creating Endowments page.

Gifts of Securities

When you make a gift of securities to the University of Miami, you may enjoy tax savings and can even increase your income from the donated stock. For further information about making a gift of securities, visit UM's Office of Estate and Gift Planning page.

Matching Gifts

Many corporations have demonstrated their support for UM by matching, or multiplying, their employees' gifts to the University, up to a set amount. Before you make a gift, you may want to ask your company's personnel office if they participate in such a program. Click here to read more about Matching Gifts.

Gifts-in-Kind

You may wish to give UM a personal possession of special interest. The University receives a wide variety of such gifts, including rare books and manuscripts, works of art, equipment and other items. To determine the University's interest in the object you would like to give, please call (305) 284-4111.

Planned Gifts

Planned gifts are gift arrangements that have specific tax advantages and often include lifetime income to a beneficiary or beneficiaries named by the donor. For further information about making a planned gift or bequest to the University of Miami, visit the Office of Estate and Gift Planning page.

However you choose to support the University of Miami, you will be embarking on a partnership with one of the world's greatest academic and research institutions. Join the campaign by making your gift now by using our secure on-line giving form.

How much does it cost to establish an endowed scholarship at the University of Miami? Once established, will I be involved in the selection process for the student recipients of the scholarship? How can I find out how my scholarship students are doing?

Scholarship support is one of the University of Miami's most critical areas of need. It also provides one of the most popular giving opportunities for donors. To endow a full-tuition scholarship for one student currently requires a commitment of $500,000; however, gifts of $50,000 or more may be used to create an endowed scholarship fund.

Scholarships are awarded annually by the Office of Financial Assistance based on academic merit and financial need. While donors are not involved in the selecting of specific student recipients, they may specify certain preferences when establishing the scholarship fund. These preferences may include the student's geographic area of origin, intended field of study, or interest in extracurricular activities. In addition, the University of Miami can award scholarships to students who demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities or special promise in the arts or an academic discipline.

Once a scholarship has been awarded, the University will provide the donor with an annual report, including information about the student recipient(s) and the status of the endowment. In addition, the University will provide opportunities for one-on-one meetings between the donor and the student(s) at an annual scholarship donor recognition event. Because endowed funds last in perpetuity, one of the most gratifying aspects of creating an endowed scholarship is the opportunity to support generations of bright, enthusiastic students.

For more information on endowing a scholarship at the University of Miami, please visit the Creating Endowments pages or call (305) 284-4111.

What kind of naming opportunities are being offered for the Momentum Campaign and what do they cost?

There are numerous naming opportunities at the University of Miami, ranging from $2.5 million for an endowed chair to $25,000 for an endowed library fund. Please visit our Types of Endowments web page for more information or call (305) 284-4111 (Coral Gables campus) or (305) 243-6256 (Medical campus).

What are the benefits of making a gift to the Momentum Campaign?

Annual giving societies recognize those individuals, corporations and foundations that have distinguished themselves in support of UM. For more information on the University's numerous recognition societies, visit our Donors web page. In addition, every gift to the University of Miami is tax deductible. Bequests and trust gifts offer significant tax benefits. Visit our Estate and Gift Planning web site for more information on the tax benefits associated with these giving vehicles.