Our goal is to raise at least $50,000 in contributions and five-year pledges to qualify the fellowship for the UCSB Graduate Division’s Student Fellowship Accelerator Program. This limited-time Fellowship Accelerator amplifies collective giving by >25% through providing the full annual fellowship payouts for the first five years, while allowing the endowment principal to grow. In other words, the Fellowship Accelerator would allow the Eco-E Endowed Graduate Fellowship Fund to grow untouched for a period of five years even as fellowships are disbursed to student recipients.
Gifts to the Eco-Entrepreneurship Endowed Graduate Fellowship Fund support several different types of student fellowships offered through the Eco-E program: Summer Fellowships (allows selected students to either continue researching their Eco-E business model or obtain relevant work experience during the summer), Venture Fellowships (awarded to graduating students, providing essential funding for continuing research towards launching their Eco-E ventures), and Venture Internship Fellowships (awarded to students interning with alumni Eco-E startups, offering the dual purpose of meaningful mentorship opportunities and critical support for alumni Eco-Entrepreneurs).
Eco-E Advisory Council members, MESM alumni, and other donors to the Bren School have already committed $25,000 in contributions and pledges. That leaves $25,000 left to raise. This is my challenge to you, as Eco-E alumni: If you can raise $20,000 in contributions and pledges, I will personally contribute the final $5,000. Gifts can be made as one-time contributions, as recurring, or as pledges for up to five years.* If your employer has a matching gift program, you can leverage your support even further.
Thank you for your contributions and pledges. Your gifts make the Bren community stronger.
- Dean Gaines
*We encourage you to enroll in making a 5-year pledge to catalyze this effort and further benefit future Eco-E students! Contact Beth at beth@bren.ucsb.edu to stretch your contribution over 5 years.