On Campus
Solicitation and sales in University buildings are limited to two general areas: the Schwarzman Center and the residential college common rooms. Registered student organizations may sell items and solicit funds in the Rotunda or lower level of the Schwarzman Center. A tabling request must be submitted to use the Schwarzman Center spaces. Questions should be directed to ysc.requests@yale.edu.
Fundraising events on campus must be coordinated by Yale College in order to avoid multiple and competing events in one period of time and ensure that certain University facilities are not monopolized by a few organizations. Permission to hold fundraising events on campus must be requested in writing from the Office of Student Affairs at least two weeks before the event.
- Fundraising is not allowed – either the direct solicitation of cash or QR codes/online – on Cross Campus or Beinecke Plaza.
- Solicitation in the post office and other campus buildings is not allowed, nor is door-to-door solicitation or sales in the residences.
- Undergraduate organizations wishing to solicit or sell tickets and/or merchandise in the residential colleges must secure permission from the Office of the Council of Heads of College at least twenty-four hours in advance.
- Solicitation and sales for commercial purposes, except those by Associated Student Agencies, are prohibited.
Please refer to the Solicitations & Sales sections of the Undergraduate Regulations for more detailed information.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Student Organizations at student.organizations@yale.edu.
Off Campus
Undergraduate organizations are allowed to seek funds from a variety of sources, including reasonable membership dues; donations at concerts, speeches, or other events; and advertisements in publications. Fundraising activities are permissible only to the extent that they are needed to support the activities of the organization, since each organization is operated on a nonprofit basis.
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.
Starting in Fall 2023, YCODV has launched YaleSOAR (Yale Student Orgs Annual Raise), a student-led giving week during which registered groups can create custom fundraising appeals which will be shared with all alumni through the Yale Alumni Fund as well as with students’ personal networks. Student orgs interested in fundraising from alumni should utilize the YaleSOAR giving week for this purpose and incorporate this opportunity into their yearly planning.
Groups 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 any questions.
YaleSOAR
YaleSOAR (Student Orgs Annual Raise) is a student-led November giving week hosted by the Yale College Office of Development. Registered student organizations who apply will be able to create custom appeal pages in an online social fundraising platform. Student appeals will be promoted to Yale alumni through the Yale Alumni Fund and students will also be able to solicit group alumni and personal networks where applicable using a custom link.
Registered student groups will be able to apply for YaleSOAR starting on Sept. 3 and begin building custom online appeal pages throughout September and October. The YaleSOAR giving week will start on Nov. 3 and end on Nov. 10. Students will receive any funds raised approximately 10 business days after the end of the giving week, and upon completion of thank-you notes for donors. The Yale College Office of Development will guide student groups through the application, appeal-building, and promotion process. Student orgs interested in fundraising from alumni should utilize the YaleSOAR giving week for this purpose and incorporate this opportunity into their yearly planning.
If your group is interested in participating in YaleSOAR, you can find the application, detailed timeline, sample application requirements, and FAQs on the YaleSOAR linktree. Please reach out to yalesoar@yale.edu with any questions.
Sponsorships