Fundraising From Alumni

Student organizations may not contact prospective donors until they have received authorization from the Yale College Office of Development (YCODV). YCODV works to solicit tax-deductible gifts only and cannot assist student organizations with corporate sponsorships, sales, or other incentivized contributions.   

Student groups who wish to raise funds from alumni should first consider applying to YaleSOAR (Student Orgs Annual Raise). Hosted by the Office of Development, SOAR invites registered undergraduate organizations to create custom fundraising campaigns to be shared during a special giving week.

SOAR campaigns will be shared with the general alumni population through the Yale Alumni Fund. Separate promotion to targeted contact lists (group alumni, family, friends, affiliate networks) is highly encouraged. Staff will provide extensive resources and support throughout the campaign building and promotion planning process. Groups interested in regular fundraising should utilize the YaleSOAR giving week for this purpose and incorporate this opportunity into their yearly planning.   

For more information and to apply to YaleSOAR, please visit the YaleSOAR website. Contact yalesoar@yale.edu with questions.

Organizations who identify the need for additional fundraising outside of YaleSOAR must demonstrate that they were not able to anticipate the need for funds during the YaleSOAR application window. In these special cases, student orgs will need to provide a written statement describing the purpose of the solicitation, the names and affiliations of prospective donors, and copies of all proposed solicitation materials. In order for an individual donor to receive Yale credit and/or a tax receipt from Yale, all gifts must be made through an official Yale giving site.    

Please reach out to yalecollegeodv@yale.edu with inquiries about general fundraising policy or separate solicitations.