Gifts to Black Achievement Success and Engagement (BASE) contribute to...
SUPPORT THE BLACK ACHIEVEMENT SUCCESS AND ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE!
BASE serves all Black-identified students attending the University of San Francisco and provides a foundation for students to grow, learn, discover and thrive. Through high-impact academic and extracurricular programs that center on the unique and varied experiences of people of African descent, BASE equips students with the knowledge, resources, skills, and support necessary to turn their dreams into reality.
Our community of Black students is growing rapidly and the need is greater than ever to support and empower them. Since 2017, first-year undergraduate applications have increased by 131 percent and the overall population of Black undergraduate and graduate students has grown by 31 percent. USF continues to welcome new Black undergraduates studying a wide array of majors to campus, and our community intends to empower each and every one of them.
Your support today helps us reach our growing student community through our various BASE programs:
The Black Scholars Program is a rigorous and competitive academic program, grounded in Jesuit values, that seeks to provide high achieving Black students with the resources, skills, and support necessary to achieve personal and professional excellence. Students who are selected as Black Scholars receive a four-year full-tuition scholarship, mentorship, networking, and specialized academic coursework.
The Marshall-Riley Living Learning Community creates a fun and engaging learning environment for freshman and sophomore students who share an interest in the historical, intellectual, and political traditions of Black Americans. Students benefit from specialized African American Studies coursework, community-engagement internships with local Bay Area Black community organizations, and a ten-day Black Heritage Immersion trip through the deep South.
The Black Resource Center provides a safe, supportive space for undergraduate and graduate students of African descent to connect with each other to receive academic, spiritual, mentoring, and emotional support services. The Black Resource Center seeks to connect Black students not only to the varied supportive resources USF offers, but to opportunities on and off campus that promote scholarship, foster leadership development, and cultivate meaningful and impactful community engagement.
The Black Leadership Fellowship Program is a critical initiative offered through the Black Resource Center that enriches Black students' understanding and practice of ethical leadership through a year-long program providing fundamental skills, frameworks, and strategies needed to create an equitable and ethical impact as a leader. Black students benefit from a leadership retreat, year-long personal and leadership development workshops, and an 8-12 week summer internship with a Bay Area organization.
BASE Scholarships support Black-identified students who are not part of the Black Scholars Program but participate in our many other BASE programs and workshops. With nearly 700 undergraduates on campus, more scholarships dollars are necessary to support Pell-eligible students as well as students who are not qualified for need-based financial aid.
Established in 2020, the Tomasello-Millard Economic Hardship Fund meets the growing needs of Black-identified students facing economic hardship. Available to all undergraduate and graduate students, the fund provides a safety net to cover necessities such as rent, tuition, and transportation.
By making a gift to programs within the BASE Initiative, you ensure Black-identified students at USF have the resources they need to achieve their educational aspirations. Thank you for your support!
We’re thrilled to extend a heartfelt thank you for your generous support on Day of the Dons. Thanks to you, not only were we able to reach our initial goal of 2,023 donors, but we also surpassed our stretch goal of 2,123 and unlocked over $175,000 in total challenge gifts! 🎉
Your gift will have a profound impact on students, helping to provide them with the resources they need to succeed both academically and personally. You represent the strength of our community and our shared commitment to the mission of USF.
Thank you –– the future is bright at USF because of you!
1233 days ago by Elliott GentileBecause of your overwhelming support, USF Board Member Doris Cheng was inspired to offer an additional challenge gift of $3,000 when 100 more Dons make their gift today!
You have less than 4 hours left to make your Day of the Dons gift!
The results are in! Our Power Hour match winners are:
Jodi S. Lerner earned $250 for the School of Law Assembly Fund!
Elena Cabrera-Larente earned $250 The USF Scholarship Fund!
Thank you for making a difference!
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Calling all Dons! We are almost to our goal, but we need your help!
Between 6pm and 7pm we are offering a special opportunity for two donors to have their gift randomly selected for a $250 match. Make a gift to your favorite area now to be included in this special challenge.
The clock is ticking - you won't want to miss out!
We are thrilled to announce that USF Trustee Jeff Silk ’87 and his wife Naomi will quadruple every gift made to the Silk Speaker Series, which brings international thought leaders to campus for lectures on business, finance, and global issues. Make your gift now!
Most recently, the Silk Speaker Series welcomed Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ABC’s “Good Morning America” and member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, to campus to discuss personal and professional triumphs in the face of adversity.
Our next Silk Speaker Series on April 14 features Kal Penn, guest host of the Daily Show and former Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement under President Obama. We hope to see you there!
To celebrate Day of the Dons on the Hilltop, USF staff hosted a carnival for students full of games, prizes, and tasty snacks! Rev. John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J. even made a surprise appearance (thank you!)
Students were invited to make their Day of the Dons gift and vote for the three funds that they wanted to win an additional $5,000 challenge gifts from Doris Cheng. We are thrilled to announce the winners by students' popular votes are:
1. Student Wellness Support - Holistic Wellness/Counseling Services Fund: $2,500
2. Student Assistance Fund - Food Pantry: $1,500
3. Student Assistance Fund - Emergency Fund: $1,000
Thank you to all the students who came out to enjoy some Day of the Dons fun with us! Rain or shine, your Dons pride is bright!
Still haven't made your Day of the Dons gift yet? Make your gift now!
Alumni Council Challenge Announced!
Today, when 500 alumni make a gift to any area of USF, a special $5,000 will be gifted from the Alumni Board to the USF Food Pantry.
Since 2018, the USF Food Pantry has provided support to 3,665 students (and counting!) experiencing food insecurity. Help the Food Pantry reach even more students!
The results are in! Our Recent Alumni match winners are:
Andrew Justin C Villanueva '21 earned $250 for the Department of Art + Architecture!
Sydnie Telson '16 earned $250 for the San Francisco Dons Fund- Women's Soccer!
Thank you for making a difference!
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Have you graduated from USF in the past 10 years? If you did, this pop-up challenge is for you!
Two recent alumni who make a gift today will be randomly selected to have their gifts matched with $250!
Make your gift to your favorite area of campus now and then check back later today to see if your gift was selected for a match.
The results are in! Our International Dons match winners are:
Laura Lima and Benny Cohen, USF Parents '23 earned $250 for the San Francisco Dons Fund- Volleyball!
Monique Bodewes earned $250 for the San Francisco Dons Fund- Men's Soccer!
Thank you for making a difference!
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To celebrate Dons pride around the world, two International Dons who make a gift to any area of USF today will be randomly selected to earn a $250 match! No matter where you are around the globe, we all know USF never truly leaves you.
Join our USF Alumni from London (pictured above) and make your Day of the Dons gift now!
The results are in! The pop-up challenge match winners for making the very first and very last Day of the Dons gifts are:
Jessica Ramsey '21 earned $250 for the School of Law Universal Access Scholarship (DACA law students)!
Flor en Moniek and Max Hamelink earned $250 for the San Francisco Dons Fund- Men's Soccer!
Thank you for making a difference!
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Follow along today as we announce pop-up challenges all day long, offering more ways for you to make an even bigger impact on USF students!
All of our pop-up challenge gifts are a part of a generous gift from Trustee Doris Cheng.
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