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.
Financial Assistance Scholarships
The Education & Research Fund is now accepting Financial Assistance Scholarships for ACUI Seminars and Institutes with a priority submission deadline of April 20.
2026 Annual Conference
Thank you to all of those who participated in the fundraising activities at the 2026 ACUI Annual Conference this year. Your continued support help raise over $10,000!
Congratulations to the Regional Participants who participated in the 50/50 Regional Split the Pot:
- First – Region VI
- Second – Region VII
- Third – Region VIII
2026 Legacy Leaders
Congratulations to the 2026 Legacy Leaders! More than $12,300 was raised in honor of their legacies.
- Jeff Pelletier, Ohio State University
- Susan Canady, University of Maryland–College Park
- Jeni Eltink, University of Minnesota–Duluth
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.
ACUI Education & Research Fund Donor Levels
The Education & Research Fund recognizes donors based on their lifetime giving at the following levels:
- Friends of ACUI: $100–$250
- Community Builders of ACUI: $251–$500
- Hearthstone Members of ACUI: $501–$1,000
- 1914 Society: $1,001–$2,500
- Hearthstone Society: $2,501–$5,000
- Union Society: $5,001–$10,000
- Advocacy Society: $10,001–$15,000
- Leadership Society: $15,001–$20,000
- Community Builders Society: $20,001–$25,000
- Directors Society: $25,001–$50,000
- Founders Society: $50,001–$75,000
- Trustees Society: $75,001+
Understanding Lifetime Giving
We’re grateful for the many ways our members support our mission. To help clarify how contributions are recognized, please note the following regarding lifetime giving:
- What Counts Toward Lifetime Giving
All cash donations made at both the international and regional levels are applied toward your lifetime giving total. - What Does Not Count Toward Lifetime Giving
Contributions where you receive something in return are not included in lifetime giving. This includes:- Silent Auction item donations and purchases
- Fundraising activities such as Trivia or “Heads or Tails”
- Any donation connected to receiving an item, experience, or chance to win a prize
- A Simple Way to Think About It
Lifetime giving reflects pure charitable contributions. If a benefit, item, or experience is received in exchange, it is not counted toward your lifetime total.
We appreciate your generosity and ongoing support in all its forms. If you have any questions about your giving history, please don’t hesitate to contact ACUI acui@acui.org.
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.”
“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.”
“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.”
