Home Support Rackham Support Rackham Rackham Graduate School offers direct help to master’s and doctoral students as they move through graduate school and into the world to address complex problems and work towards innovative solutions at home and around the world. The Need Graduate students drive discovery, innovation, and progress across every field, but many face significant financial and personal barriers along the way. Rackham Graduate School is committed to ensuring that all students have the support they need to thrive, complete their degrees, and bring their research and leadership to the communities and world that need them most. Give Online Today Make Your Gift Go Further Become a sustaining donor and multiply your impact. Right now, all new monthly gifts are being matched 1:1, up to $100 per month. When you start your gift before July 2026, it will be matched for 12 months, doubling your generosity each month and providing steady support that Rackham students can count on as they pursue their research, discoveries, and dreams. For example, a commitment of $25 per month becomes $600 over a year with the match—enough to send a student to a professional conference and open doors to new opportunities. Both your gift and the matching funds will be included when recognizing you in the Honor Roll in spring 2026, celebrating the powerful difference you make in students’ lives. Become a Sustaining Donor Multiply Your Impact for Students Your first major gift can go even further. Right now, all new major gifts of $50,000 or more that support student costs—such as scholarships, fellowships, internships, travel, or emergency funding—are eligible for a 1:2 match. When you make your first qualifying gift, the university will add matching funds to the same area, increasing the reach and impact of your generosity. For example, a new gift of $100,000 would receive a $50,000 match, providing even more support for students as they pursue their education and ambitions. Matching funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be applied to endowed or expendable gifts made to any campus, school, college, or unit. Eligible gifts must be one-time gifts or pledges of up to five years, with matching funds applied as payments are received. Both your gift and the matching funds will be included when recognizing you in university giving records, celebrating the powerful difference you make in students’ lives. Funding Priorities Below is a list of the graduate school’s areas of greatest need as we seek to reimagine graduate education at U-M in a way that is student centered and faculty led, and that emphasizes a holistic view of graduate training. Each section links to a printable PDF with detailed information on impact opportunities and programmatic support. Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research and Discovery Complex global challenges rarely fit neatly within a single field of study. Building on Rackham’s founding vision of cross-disciplinary collaboration, interdisciplinary research encourages graduate students and faculty to integrate diverse perspectives from the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Expanding support in this area creates opportunities for innovative projects that push beyond traditional boundaries and generate new insights with broad impact. Supporting Students Who Are Caregivers Graduate students who are also parents or caregivers often face significant obstacles in balancing their academic and family responsibilities. Limited access to childcare and flexible funding options can put their progress and well-being at risk. By addressing these challenges, Rackham aims to create equitable opportunities so that students with caregiving roles can fully participate in research, teaching, and coursework while also meeting their responsibilities at home. Expanding Resources for International Students International students from more than 90 countries enrich the intellectual and cultural fabric of Rackham and the university as a whole. Yet they often encounter barriers such as limited eligibility for financial aid and the difficulty of navigating unfamiliar systems of support. Expanding resources for international students strengthens their ability to thrive academically, socially, and personally, ensuring Michigan remains a welcoming and competitive destination for global scholars. Reimagining Experiences for Master’s students Master’s students in research-based programs face unique challenges that differ from those of doctoral students.Less than half of Rackham’s 3,600+ master’s students receive any financial aid to help fund their education. Many juggle intensive coursework and research while navigating shorter timelines and limited funding opportunities. By reimagining their experience, Rackham is working to reduce financial stress and provide tailored professional development, skill-building, and applied learning that prepare master’s students for success in their next steps. More Stories Story Results No results found. Please adjust your search and try again. A Culture of Sustainability January 5, 2021 | James Dau In 2019, U-M launched a commission to help it achieve carbon neutrality. Rackham nursing graduate Megan Czerwinski used her expertise in sustainability and health education to help members of the U-M community understand the stakes and learn how they can contribute. How Rackham Helps Student Spotlights A Sense of Place November 23, 2020 | James Dau It often conjures images of farms or forests, but what does it really mean for a place to be “rural”? Rackham student Surabhi Balachander is looking for a new definition that reflects people's lived experiences. How Rackham Helps Student Spotlights Speaking Their Legacy October 30, 2020 | James Dau Over a century ago, groups of Afrikaans-speaking Boer settlers left war-torn South Africa for Argentina. Today, their descendants speak a unique blend of Afrikaans and Spanish, and a team of U-M researchers is working to document it before it disappears. How Rackham Helps Student Spotlights Load More Results First Previous 1 2 … 20 21 22 … 27 28 Next Last Ways to Make an Impact There are many ways to support graduate students and advance Rackham’s mission. Regardless of the size or form, your gifts of cash, pledges, or appreciated securities change lives. Wills, estate, and planned gifts allow you to create a lasting legacy that will make it possible for the best and brightest minds to complete a graduate degree, solve problems in a changing world, and yield ideas and innovations that will make a difference in Michigan and around the globe. Endowed Funds Endowed Funds allow you to create a lasting legacy with a permanent fund at the university. The fund is invested alongside the university’s endowment fund, and the principal will never be spent. Each year, a portion of the investment income, currently 4.5%, would be used to support your area of interest at Michigan in perpetuity. Rackham’s endowment minimum is $50,000 and may increase over time to keep pace with inflation. Expendable Gifts Expendable Gifts are greatly valued as a form of giving. The funds are used immediately to provide tuition support, fund research fellowships, or help cover other educational or extracurricular costs. Supporting Rackham’s annual funds is one of the most direct ways to make an immediate difference in the lives of graduate students. Gifts to these funds sustain vital programs that foster academic excellence, community, and well-being ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive. Planned and Estate Gifts A bequest, estate, or planned gift to Rackham demonstrates your commitment to graduate education in a way that supports your interests and creates an enduring legacy at the University of Michigan. These gifts make it possible for the most promising minds who might otherwise be unable to afford a Michigan graduate degree to pursue their goals and contribute to discoveries that shape our world. Planned gifts offer flexibility and lasting impact. Whether through a bequest in your will, a charitable gift annuity, or a gift of retirement plan assets, your support sustains the excellence of graduate education and research for generations to come. How to Make a Gift Online You can make a credit card gift using the Online Giving site. Mail You can make a gift via check or credit card by printing out this form and mailing it to: Rackham Development and Alumni Relations 915 East Washington Street, Suite 1530 Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1070 Phone Please call 734.764.1125 if you would like to speak to a development officer about your philanthropic interests and goals. Matching Gifts You can increase your gift to Rackham by making use of your company’s matching gift program. If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed with your gift. We will do the rest. The impact of your gift to Rackham may be doubled or possibly tripled! Some companies match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses. Gifts by Bequest, Trust, Gift Annuity, or Stock Transfer A bequest intention, charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, or stock transfer can help you meet your personal, financial, and philanthropic goals. For more information, including sample bequest language, and to learn which option may be right for you, contact any Rackham gift officer. Our Team Kyah Courter Major Gift Officer [email protected] 734.764.5536 Jordan Kifer Major Gifts Officer [email protected] 734.647.8688 Jane Lloyd Stewardship Officer [email protected] 734.647.2644 Miriam Rubio Annual Giving Officer [email protected] 734.764.1125 Michele Siegal Director of Development and Alumni Relations [email protected] 734.615.2133 Contact Us Hours: Development and Alumni Relations is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The office is closed Saturdays and Sundays and on university holidays. Location 1530 Rackham Building 915 East Washington Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1070 Contact Phone: 734.764.1125 Fax: 734.936.2848 Email: [email protected]
A Culture of Sustainability January 5, 2021 | James Dau In 2019, U-M launched a commission to help it achieve carbon neutrality. Rackham nursing graduate Megan Czerwinski used her expertise in sustainability and health education to help members of the U-M community understand the stakes and learn how they can contribute. How Rackham Helps Student Spotlights
A Sense of Place November 23, 2020 | James Dau It often conjures images of farms or forests, but what does it really mean for a place to be “rural”? Rackham student Surabhi Balachander is looking for a new definition that reflects people's lived experiences. How Rackham Helps Student Spotlights
Speaking Their Legacy October 30, 2020 | James Dau Over a century ago, groups of Afrikaans-speaking Boer settlers left war-torn South Africa for Argentina. Today, their descendants speak a unique blend of Afrikaans and Spanish, and a team of U-M researchers is working to document it before it disappears. How Rackham Helps Student Spotlights
Endowed Funds Endowed Funds allow you to create a lasting legacy with a permanent fund at the university. The fund is invested alongside the university’s endowment fund, and the principal will never be spent. Each year, a portion of the investment income, currently 4.5%, would be used to support your area of interest at Michigan in perpetuity. Rackham’s endowment minimum is $50,000 and may increase over time to keep pace with inflation.
Expendable Gifts Expendable Gifts are greatly valued as a form of giving. The funds are used immediately to provide tuition support, fund research fellowships, or help cover other educational or extracurricular costs. Supporting Rackham’s annual funds is one of the most direct ways to make an immediate difference in the lives of graduate students. Gifts to these funds sustain vital programs that foster academic excellence, community, and well-being ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive.
Planned and Estate Gifts A bequest, estate, or planned gift to Rackham demonstrates your commitment to graduate education in a way that supports your interests and creates an enduring legacy at the University of Michigan. These gifts make it possible for the most promising minds who might otherwise be unable to afford a Michigan graduate degree to pursue their goals and contribute to discoveries that shape our world. Planned gifts offer flexibility and lasting impact. Whether through a bequest in your will, a charitable gift annuity, or a gift of retirement plan assets, your support sustains the excellence of graduate education and research for generations to come.
