FAQs for donors

There is philanthropic satisfaction in supporting outstanding students and helping them to get degrees from one of the world’s leading universities. Many students would not normally be able to afford this opportunity using their own resources.

The University of Cambridge’s stated aim is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Scholars at all levels of study within the University help to achieve that aim, and graduate research can (and often does) lead to major advances in many academic and applied fields.

In addition to contributing to the individual development of students, and also of their home communities, a donor gains access to some of the brightest and most forward-looking minds in the University, and a pool of alumni with whom to keep in contact after they have completed their studies.

Major donors to the Trust, and therefore to the University, may be invited to join the Guild of Benefactors or the Vice-Chancellor’s Circle in recognition of their generosity. The names of individuals, companies, foundations and trusts that have been welcomed as Companions of the Guild since its inaugural ceremony in 1998 are recorded on the Benefactors’ Staircase in the Old Schools, the historic heart of the University.

For more information about the Financial and tax status of the Trust please see our Governance & Accountability page.

There are several methods of donating - click on the links for more detailed information:

• donation to the general funds of the Trust
• donation towards all or part of the costs of a specific scholarship programme (either a new scholarship or an existing programme)
• establishment of an endowment

The Trust can collaborate with any type of donor - including institutions, registered charities, educational establishments, corporations, individuals, government departments and agencies - provided that the aim of the donation is aligned with the objectives of the Trust.

A donation may serve one of several purposes:

• the support of one or more scholars in Cambridge in a single year
• the support of one or more annual scholarships for a fixed number of years
• the establishment of an endowment fund that provides a minimum level of return in order to support one or more annual scholarships in perpetuity

Each country has different tax regulations concerning charitable donations. We suggest that you take advice within the country in which you pay income tax, or contact either the Trust or the University’s Development Office for further information.

There are opportunities to name a Cambridge Trust scholarship, which can reflect the name or wishes of the donor(s). We would be happy to discuss the naming of a new scholarship programme with you.

Our awards are normally called ‘Scholarships’, and occasionally ‘Studentships’. We avoid the term ‘Fellowships’ as the term ‘Fellow’ is used in Cambridge to refer to a senior academic within a College, not to a student.

The Trust can only receive donations towards scholarships managed by the Trust that support students on degree courses at the University of Cambridge.

The University’s Development Office would be happy to discuss any other types of donation.