Annual Fund

The Annual Fund lies at the heart of the CUC experience. Every year alumni, parents and friends contribute to the College through the Annual Fund. These funds help maintain the day-to-day excellence that sets CUC apart from so many other colleges. Contributions to the Annual Fund also help provide more financial aid for our students, better facilities, top-notch faculty and unlimited opportunities. Your gift makes a difference in every aspect of CUC life.

While the Annual Fund does not construct new buildings, it does make what goes on inside those buildings possible. CUC would not exist without the budget supporting dollars of the Annual Fund. Computer labs would go without software updates, the library would go without journals, and both students and professors would lose access to new technology and equipment.

Your contributions to the Annual Fund also help narrow the gap between actual operating costs and what students pay in tuition. Tuition only covers about 60% of the cost of a CUC education. The difference, in part, is made up through contributions from people just like you.

The Annual Fund provides support for the immediate operating budget of the College. Budget supporting gifts are essential to the continued success and growth of Columbia Union College. These funds are expendable and must be renewed annually as the College pursues its mission.

What exactly is the Annual Fund?
The Annual Fund gives CUC the flexibility to respond to immediate challenges and ongoing issues facing the College. This includes keeping a CUC education within the financial reach of a wide array of students and funding innovative educational and service programs.

In generating annual operating revenue, The Annual Fund for CUC builds partnerships with alumni, parents and friends who share the vision of educating the whole person.

Monies raised through the Annual Fund go into the current operating budget of the College.

The purpose of the Annual Fund is:

• To provide tuition assistance for students.


• To fund continuing educational and cultural programs.


• To ensure CUC's continued academic advancement.


• To enhance the CUC athletic program.

Why Give
The Annual Fund is a convenient way to make an immediate impact on CUC. It is the very foundation of giving from alumni, parents, and friends. We are committed to continuously enhancing the CUC experience. In doing so, we also enhance the value of your degree. We can continue to provide a quality education only with the strong financial support of the entire CUC family.

We meet our annual goals one dollar and one donor at a time, and every single gift counts toward our annual goals, no matter the size.

Your gift also serves as an institutional barometer of satisfaction. One of the greatest challenges facing CUC is the participation of alumni in giving back to the College. Alumni financial support is figured into national rankings such as U.S. News & World Report and Barron's because it is viewed as an indicator of alumni satisfaction with their education. These rankings are important to the College because they create national visibility. We can actually track the quantity and quality of our admission applications through our national rankings.

Alumni participation also impacts corporate and foundation giving. When we approach a company for financial support, one of the first things we're asked is how many of our alumni give. It's a fair question ... if our alumni don't support us, why should they? Without you, we can't make it happen.

Gift Societies
Many of our alumni, parents and friends belong to one of CUC's gift societies. Gifts at these levels make the greatest difference at CUC. Gift societies also challenge you to think about your giving to CUC.

Whether you are an alumnus, parent, or friend, we encourage you to consider the gift societies list below and join the society right for you. If you can, we ask you to increase your gift over what you gave last year. If you are a recent graduate, give what you feel you are able to give. Your gifts are always appreciated.

If you work for a matching gift company, be sure to take advantage of the match. You will receive gift society credit for any matching gifts reveived as a result of your gift.

The Giving Community at Colubia Union College
Pioneer's: $100
Gateway Society: $250
H.M.S. Richards Society: $500
James Lawhead Society: $1000
Founder's Society: $5000
Visionary's Society: $10,000

Where do I send my gift?
You can make a gift by check (payable to The Annual Fund for CUC) by sending it to:

Columbia Union College
Office of Development
7600 Flower Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912-7796

Contact us at 301-891-4151 to make your credit card gift over the phone. CUC accepts VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

You can designate your Annual Fund gift to any of the following areas: