University of Michigan School of Information
Philanthropic priorities
There are many areas where gifts can help. These are the areas where philanthropic support is needed most. See all funds.
Priorities:
Student scholarship support
Scholarship donations not only dramatically change the life of a future information leader, they also provide real-world benefits. Our alumni are making a big difference in the world. The demand for our students is high and growing. But the cost of higher education is an ever-growing challenge for our students. Today, we are able to provide one-third of our students (about 130) with some level of scholarship support. We’re working to increase that number. As we do, more of our students will be able to realize their dreams and have a profound impact on our world.
"As a student specializing in Information Analysis and Retrieval at UMSI, my dream is to pursue a career in data mining to assist government agencies and non-profit organizations to better distribute aid in developing countries. I want my career to be more than just a paycheck, and receiving a scholarship to attend UMSI allows me to focus on learning the necessary skills I need to better the lives of those less fortunate than I am. The generosity of my scholarship donor is a reminder to myself to push past the short-term struggles, and push even harder to focus on my ultimate goals. I hope one day to be able to help students achieve their goals just as this scholarship has helped me on the path to achieving mine."
- Budi Wibowo, MSI ‘15, recipient of the Faculty & Alumni Scholarship
Helping the community and the world
Support can help with engaged learning projects that reach into communities from right next door to around the globe, providing new outcomes in everything from archives to health through technology and information. Donors help fund new ways of learning, new types of teaching, and new opportunities for both students and the organizations where they work.
Donor support helps students engage in such practical learning experiences as
- Internships
- Study Abroad
- Conference Travel
- Student Research
- Student Organizations
- Entrepreneurial Activities
- Community Engagement Projects
Thanks to a 2017 Public Service Internship Grant, Sneha Joshi, MSI ‘18, (below left) got the chance to experience what a start-up goes through and the various stages of its development, from buying a domain through to branding, marketing, logo creation and alpha-testing.
“Through my internship with Caravan,” Sneha says, “I got the opportunity to conduct user interviews and customer discovery, design wireframes and product development roadmaps, get reviewed by and network with industry experts, and engage with community-based organizations. I also got to understand about entrepreneurship and 'mobility as a service'.”
Faculty impact
UMSI faculty have been leading the country and the world in innovative research, scholarship, entrepreneurship and education since our beginnings in 1926. Our faculty members have provided students with opportunities to explore new areas in information and library sciences fields and launch their own entrepreneurial ventures. Donor support allows us to continue to recruit and retain the best minds and provide our students with experiences of discovery, creativity and innovation through both real-world problem-solving and research.
Annual Fund
For over nine decades, donors and philanthropy have played a significant role in UMSI’s success. In the years to come, support will shape the school as a place where great research and academic excellence occurs, where new ideas are generated and creativity is fostered, and where students and faculty take these ideas and boldly impact the world around us.