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Project Giving Tree is a response to the changing dynamics of University funding. With state funding at all-time lows and tuition at all-time highs, the campaign seeks to raise awareness about the importance of giving back to UTCS starting as soon as students graduate.
The senior class of 2014 launched this first student-driven giving campaign in the Department of Computer Science and is dedicated to improving the overall quality of UT Computer Science undergraduate education.
State funding for UT Austin has been declining for years, and today, the overall percentage that the state contributes to the University budget has fallen to 13%. Thirty years ago that number was nearly 50%. The slow and inexorable decline of state funds has forced public schools to follow in the path of their private counterparts to ramp up funding from alumni to fill the shortfall.
The students who launched Project Giving Tree, along with Chairman Porter decided that the funds raised by Project Giving Tree would be used exclusively to directly support the area that impacts undergraduates the most. Any money donated to the campaign will be used to fund special classes the department couldn't otherwise offer. These will be specialty classes with wide appeal chosen by the chair in consultation with the student body.
Last year 68 students, 25% of the class of 2016 seniors, gave to Project Giving Tree and we think we can beat that number.
In speaking of their motivation for taking on the project, the founding co-chair William Combs said, "In the end, we won't be able to experience the benefits of this project firsthand. What we can do is make sure that the school we're leaving behind us is better for the next generation of UTCS students, and that the legacy of a UTCS degree remains strong."
For every $20 given to this endowment, you will receive a ticket for the big raffle at our Senior Sendoff on April 19th! We have received awesome donations from local companies, like... Game Over Video Games, Dragon's Lair, A bike ride with Bruce Porter, Uchi/Uchiko, Congress Avenue Kayaks, Makey Makey, The Rowing Dock, Pinthouse Pizza, Unity3D, Texas Coffee Traders/Qualcomm Cafe, Rockstar Bagels, Truluck's Downtown, Embellish, Moonshine Bar & Grill, Hilton Austin's new Cannon & Belle, Piranha Killer Sushi, UT RecSports, Austin Bouldering Project, and more!
With a $200 or greater gift to UTCS, you can have your name or the name of a loved one etched into the GDC Alumni Stair Rail, permanently commemorating your time at the University of Texas at Austin.
What is an endowment? Endowments are a sound investment in a better future. With an endowed gift, you provide permanent support for the University. Your gift is invested — never spent — and each year a distribution, like dividends on a mutual fund account, is made to your chosen program or area. Investment earnings above the dividend rate help the endowment value grow over time, to keep pace with inflation and maintain your endowment’s spending power.
What is a pledge? A pledge is a promise to pay a specific amount over a set period of time. Pledges for the Project Giving Tree Endowment can be made over a 5-year window. For example, if you make a $1,000 pledge today you can pay off the pledge by making a $200 gift each December for the next five years. We will send you a reminder each December. If you would like to make a pledge today, click here.
Can I utilize my company match? YES! Many employers sponsor matching gift programs (Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc.) and will match any charitable contributions made by employees. To find out if your company has a matching gift program, please click here. Tip: You will need to request the matching gift from your employer.
The average national alumni giving rate in 2012 was 8.7%. The alumni giving rate in 2012 for UTCS was .5%. Let's change the momentum!
State funding in 1984-1985 made up 47% of UT's budget. Today state funding makes up 13% of UT's budget.
With a $200 or greater gift to UTCS, you can have your name or the name of a loved one etched into the GDC Alumni Stair Rail, permanently commemorating your time at the University of Texas at Austin.
The money generously given to UTCS to build the Gates-Dell Complex (GDC) can only be used for building purposes. However, CS students will get to decide how the money from the PGT Endowment is spent. Want more TA's or a new special class? Donate and voice your opinion!
For the 30 of our department's 50 year history, UTCS has been and remains a top-ten rated program. We have over 2100 undergraduate students who were ranked in the top 4.25% of their high school graduating class. Overall, we're doing more with significantly less than our peer institutions. By making a gift to the PGT Endowment, you can enjoy the knowledge that you are opening the doors of higher education to deserving students while simultaneously strengthening the future well-being of UT Computer Science.
