The School of Natural Resources & Environment (SNRE) relies on the generosity of alumni and friends to support our research and academic programs, as well as our facilities and equipment. Costs have risen dramatically over the past twenty years while tuition revenues, and support from the State of Michigan, have not kept pace. The result is a significant shortage of funds available to assist students and to maintain the highest quality of programs and services. The following is a list of some common areas of need. Donors may request that their gifts be directed to one or more of these areas.

Unrestricted Expendable Gifts
These funds are directed at the discretion of the Dean of SNRE to the area(s) of greatest need at the time the gift is made. Donors simply direct the gift to the School of Natural Resources & Environment. The Dean can then spend these funds to help students with emergencies for example, or to assist students or faculty with a special project. They can also be directed to sponsor a special program such as a guest speaker series. These discretionary expendable funds are generally used to provide for one time special needs.

Scholarships and Fellowships for Students
Gifts can be designated to help students with tuition costs, living expenses, travel, books, research expenses, and fees. These gifts can be given as expendable funds (permitted to be spent all at once), or directed to an endowment account where only a small portion (currently about 5% of the account value) will be distributed each year. Endowment fund growth above the distribution amount is reinvested to grow the account over time, and provide for a perpetual, increasing stream of support.

Faculty Awards and Endowed Chairs
Donors can have their gifts go to support various research or teaching awards for SNRE faculty. If the gift is of sufficient size, it can be directed to establish a named endowed faculty chair, considered the highest honor a senior faculty member can receive. Distributions from such endowments are provided to enhance the faculty members' compensation, and to provide additional funds for things such as research and travel that furthers their academic work.

Gifts toward Facilities and Equipment
Some donors have directed their gifts to the purchase of equipment, such as specialized computers and laboratory equipment. For large gifts, a donor may even have a classroom or conference room named in honor of them, or others they wish to memorialize.

This is only a brief listing of the most common gift designations. Please feel free to contact us or continue to browse the development and alumni relations portion of this website for additional information, or to discuss specific gift ideas and designations.