Whether it’s scholarship support, funding for a new facility, or additional campus resources, everyone at the University of Iowa is positively affected by Phil (short for philanthropy). Our 2018 Phil Impact Report shows the many ways we’ve worked to create a strong and vibrant culture of philanthropy at Iowa.
Phil Student Success Grants
Made possible through a partnership between the University of Iowa Office of the President and the Student Advancement Network, these grants provide funding for a variety of undergraduate and graduate student activities outside the classroom, such as research, travel, and service projects. They enable students to pursue opportunities that might not otherwise be possible without financial assistance.
The designated fund comes from the considerate philanthropic gifts of alumni and friends who have chosen to provide unrestricted support to the University of Iowa.
Phil’s Day is an annual celebration of philanthropy hosted by the UI Center for Advancement since 2012. This event recognizes everyone who gives to the UI—through their time, talents, or treasure—and everyone who benefits from those gifts. Black and gold bows and signs are posted around campus to represent Phil’s impact on our people, buildings, and programs.
Students also have the opportunity to sign a thank-you card for a donor and hear from an accomplished UI supporter at a public talk.
We Are Phil, the UI Center for Advancement’s annual UI faculty/staff giving program launched in fall 2013, also helps build a stronger culture of philanthropy on campus. Its goal is to increase faculty and staff’s annual giving to the UI and to educate campus partners about the importance of private support in the life of our public institution.
More than 2,900 UI employees together gave $2.6 million back last year to the university supporting the people, programs, and projects closest to their hearts.
This fall, the UI Center for Advancement conducted its sixth annual weeklong campaign on campus.
UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
UI Facilities Management
Created in 2011, the Fundraising and Philanthropy Communication Certificate through the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences prepares undergraduate students for careers in the growing fields of development, institutional advancement, fundraising, donor relations, and public relations for nonprofits.
Since its inception, more than 100 students, in majors from art to business, have earned a Fundraising and Philanthropy Communication Certificate. There are currently 34 students pursuing the certificate, with up to 60 additional students taking the core classes as electives or for professional development.
Fundraising Fundamentals, Nonprofit and Fundraising Communication, and Organizational Effectiveness continue to be core classes within the certificate. To increase the depth and breadth of the program there is an Ethics and Governance course currently being developed. There has also been interest by distance learning students, so an online version of the Fundraising Fundamentals course is currently being developed and expected to be offered in spring 2019.
The UI Center for Advancement hosts a 10-week internship divided into two primary disciplines—development and operations. In summer 2017 there were seven development interns (representing both main campus and health sciences) and two operations interns: Information Technology and Talent Management.
Interns were tasked with creating a Phil’s Day promotion and developed a concept for Phil Walking, where a student host tested other students’ knowledge around campus about Phil through a series of questions.
Throughout a one-year, full-time paid position, the Williams Fellow test drives a career in philanthropy and alumni engagement at the UI Center for Advancement. The fellow receives an in-depth look at an advancement model by rotating through nearly every program within the center. Through careful mentorship, the Williams Fellow spearheads several projects throughout the year. The center established the Williams Development Fellowship in 2008 and offers the position to one graduating UI senior.
