Make a Gift - Support Cal
Make a Gift - Support Cal

About The Cal Parents Fund

A gift to The Cal Parents Fund is the best way to make an immediate impact on your student's experience. Parent gifts are used for programs with the greatest need or the greatest potential to enhance student life.

The state of California provides only about 31 percent of the university's annual budget; student fees cover only an additional fraction of the actual cost to educate your student. Gifts to UC Berkeley help make the difference — a sound investment in your student and in the nation's premier public university.

What is The Cal Parents Fund?

With gifts to The Cal Parents Fund, families have a direct impact on their student's education. The fund provides the chancellor with flexible funding to invest in student programs and resources to support students.
 

Why does a public university need parent support?

Even before recent state budget cuts, UC Berkeley received only 31 percent of its operating budget from state funds. Student fees have also increased in recent years, but they still cover only a fraction of the cost to educate a Berkeley student (estimated at over $23,000 annually). Gifts from parents, alumni, and friends of the university help make up the difference needed to provide a world-class education for Berkeley students.
 

How are Cal Parents Fund gifts used?

The gifts support Cal's greatest needs and programs that have the most benefit for undergraduates. Each year the chancellor allocates parent gifts where most needed. You can learn more about what your gifts do for Berkeley. Recent Parents Fund gifts have aided the following efforts:

Undergraduate teaching: The Freshman and Sophomore Seminars program allows first- and second-year students to explore the breadth of Berkeley's intellectual offerings in small-class settings, even before they choose a major. The Parents Fund gives distinguished professors the resources to offer these popular courses.

Faculty support: UC Berkeley has earned its world-class reputation by promoting original and innovative teaching and research. To continue this excellence, Cal must compete for top professors against its well-funded peer institutions. The Parents Fund helps provide funding to recruit and retain outstanding faculty members.

Resources for the Library: The library is the heart of any academic institution. State budget cuts in the 1990s led to a decline in library acquisitions. But the campus — and our Cal Parents Fund donors — made the Library a top priority in recent years. Today, Cal's library is the No. 1 public university library in the country — and it's ranked third overall behind only Harvard and Yale.

Student life and services: Cal Parents Fund gifts have helped update classrooms with the latest teaching technology and have funded programs at Cal's Career Center, a resource for job and graduate school advice.

Safety programs: Improvements funded for students include an evening shuttle, night escort service, and better emergency lighting.

How much should parents give?

Participation by every parent is important, and gifts of all levels are appreciated. Give a gift that suits your family budget. For leadership gifts of $1,000 or more, parents become members of the Chancellor's Society, with special benefits and invitations to events throughout the year. Learn more about giving levels and benefits >