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UMass Amherst Foundation

Welcome to the MinuteFund, UMass Amherst's crowdfunding platform, facilitated by the UMass Amherst Foundation (UMAF). The MinuteFund is our place to help students, faculty, and staff raise money for their RSO, student group, department, or center on campus. New projects are coming online every week, and you can see all the live projects below. If you would like to support an area that you don't see listed below, you can use this form to make a gift to any area of campus that you are passionate about. 

If you are interested in learning more about Accelerate: The Campaign for UMass Amherst you can view the website at: https://accelerateumass.org/ 

Interested in running a MinuteFund campaign? Click here to apply 

UMass Equestrian Team 2026
UMass Equestrian Team 2026
Keep equestrian opportunities accessible to UMass students!
Keep equestrian opportunities accessible to UMass students! UMass Equestrian is a team with a historic connection to UMass that is dedicated to fostering a community where students can learn, grow, and strengthen their skills in horseback riding. Our mission is to build teamwork and a sense of community, as we strive to create a safe space for students to develop both as riders and as individuals. With over 30 members on our team, we have consistently placed within the top 2 teams of our region in IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association), with riders receiving high point rider of the day multiple times at different competitions. We are extremely excited to announce that we will be moving back to The Hadley Farm this year and we could not be more ready to start working with the amazing people and horses at the farm. However, with the need for new tack, equipment, and horses becoming increasingly more costly with this move, donations matter now more than ever. A donation of any size will be incredibly helpful as we continue to make this transition. Outside of the move to Hadley Farm, horseback riding is an expensive sport, and for many of our riders, showing outside of college is not financially feasible. Your support will also allow us to provide life-changing opportunities for our athletes by covering the costs associated with competition, equipment for both riders and horses, and other expenses that arise throughout the season. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference. Your generosity directly impacts our ability to keep these opportunities accessible to our team members and helps us continue to build a community centered on horsemanship and personal growth, all while representing our pride and commitment to UMass.
$5,470
54%
Funded
54
Donors
26
days left
UMass Club Swimming
UMass Club Swimming
Please help UMCS raise money for our various travel meets this semester!
Please help UMCS raise money for our various travel meets this semester! Who is UMCS? We are a swimming club of around 100 members, with the main goal of giving all of our swimmers opportunities to compete in the sport they love. We partake in numerous travel meets around the country, with locations varying from New England to even Arizona! It is our responsibility to ensure that anyone who wants to compete at meets and large competitions has the ability to. We have swimmers from many backgrounds, some swam for high school and others swam since they were 8 years old. Why Donate? We want our swimmers to experience high energy meets and travel to further states. With this campaign, we aim to raise money to take roughly 24 swimmers to compete at CCS Eastern Regionals this semester! Last year was our first time attending Regionals, and we want to make this a tradition for our team. How Can You Support? With the money raised from this campaign, our swimmers will partake in a Swimathon during one of our practices! Essentially, for every donation we receive, we will swim a set distance because of your contribution. However many donations we collect will determine how many cumulative yards we swim as a team at a practice. The details will be explained under “Levels”, with each donation going directly towards our Regionals funding. For example, $1,000 raised = 10,000 yards for the team to complete at a practice!
$1,775
71%
Funded
39
Donors
7
days left
Club Management Association
Club Management Association
Help our students attend the 2026 National Student Education Conference (NSEC) in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 6–9!
Help our students attend the 2026 National Student Education Conference (NSEC) in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 6–9! Our UMass Amherst CMAA Student Chapter is raising funds to help our students attend the 2026 National Student Education Conference (NSEC) in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 6–9. This conference is an incredible opportunity for students pursuing careers in club management and the hospitality industry to take what we learn in the classroom and experience the industry firsthand. By attending, our students will have the opportunity to connect with club management professionals, network with students from universities across the region, participate in educational sessions, gain hands-on experience, and tour a variety of clubs and facilities. For many of our students, this conference is much more than a trip; it is an important step toward building a career in the club management industry. Students will be able to meet potential mentors, learn directly from industry leaders, explore different career paths, and build relationships with fellow students who share their passion for the industry. Attendance is also particularly valuable for students pursuing scholarships through NECMA, as participation in student chapter activities and conferences is mandatory for scholarship candidates. We are asking for your support to help make this experience accessible to as many of our students as possible. Travel expenses such as airfare, transportation, lodging, meals, and conference-related costs can add up quickly, and fundraising helps reduce the financial burden on students who want to participate. Every contribution, regardless of size, directly helps our chapter get students to Atlanta and gives them the opportunity to learn, connect, and grow as future leaders in the club management industry. Thank you for supporting the next generation of club management professionals!
$775
38%
Funded
10
Donors
12
days left
UMass Club Gymnastics Road to Nationals 2027
UMass Club Gymnastics Road to Nationals 2027
Help us make it Nationals in 2027!
Help us make it Nationals in 2027! In 2023 UMass Club Gymnastics competed at its first United Club Gymnastics (previously known as the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs) nationals in Memphis, TN, and has competed in nationals every year since. At the most recent UGC nationals in Birmingham, AL our team had one of its best nationals yet. Composed of gymnasts of all skill levels, our team had gymnasts competing in almost every level (Xcel Silver, Xcel Platinum, Xcel Diamond, Level 9, Men's Beginner and Men's Intermediate). We even had some athletes compete in the trampoline and tumbling events. Our Diamond team placed 12th out of 40 teams, and we had three gymnasts individually place amongst the top 20 and compete in finals. Building off the momentum from last year, we hope to keep traveling to many more destinations as a team in the future, including UGC nationals in Portland, OR in 2027. However, we can't do it without your help! The cost of hotels, flights and meet fees add up fast and we want to be able to take as many team members as possible. Help support our team and our trip to UGC Nationals 2027 by donating. All donations, no matter the size, help fund our flips! To learn more about our club press on the UMass Club Gymnastics logo (under project owners) and read our bio.
$1,120
22%
Funded
12
Donors
18
days left
Support Women's Club Soccer for Regionals and Nationals!
Support Women's Club Soccer for Regionals and Nationals!
Help us as we continue our push toward Regionals and Nationals!
Soccer Help us as we continue our push toward Regionals and Nationals! It's been an exciting season so far for UMass Women's Club Soccer, and we're looking forward to what's ahead. Our team has worked hard to put ourselves in a strong position as we continue working toward our goal of earning a spot at Regionals and, ultimately, Nationals! Competing at these tournaments is an incredible opportunity, but it also comes with significant travel, lodging, and tournament expenses. Through MinuteFund, we're raising money to help make these experiences possible and ensure our team can take advantage of every opportunity this season has to offer. We're proud of everything we've accomplished so far and are excited for the challenges ahead. The commitment, teamwork, and passion of our players have made this a special season, and we're eager to see how far we can go. We're incredibly excited to participate in MinuteFund and are very grateful for the support of our family, friends, alumni, and community. Every donation, no matter the size, directly supports our team and helps us continue representing UMass at a high level. Thank you for supporting UMass Women's Club Soccer. We're excited for the rest of the season and can't wait to see where this journey takes us! ⚽
$1,160
23%
Funded
9
Donors
36
days left
Isenberg Women in Business 2026-2027
Isenberg Women in Business 2026-2027
Help make our opportunities more accessible to all members of our community!
Isenberg Women in Business Help make our opportunities more accessible to all members of our community! Isenberg Women in Business is an organization that strives to create professional and personal development opportunities for our members. We organize numerous professional events like our annual Etiquette Dinner and Boston Networking Trip. With over 250 active members, we are limited in the number of students who can attend these events. Oftentimes, we must request ticket pricing to accommodate our large group and have to cap our events at a fraction of our overall general body. One of our main priorities for the 2026 - 2027 academic year is to make our opportunities more accessible to all members of our community. Your donations will go directly towards opening our events to more members, which will better prepare our students for careers in business. We plan to use these funds to strengthen the quality of our presentations and speakers, increase the number of members we can include in our events, provide stronger career growth resources, and cover other expenses. Join us in reaching our goal of raising $4000 by December 7, 2026! Donations of any size are greatly appreciated, and we thank you for your consideration. Please view our website here and check out our plans for the school year!
$250
6%
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2
Donors
48
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Support Running Club's Trip to Nationals!
Support Running Club's Trip to Nationals!
Help cover the costs of flights, rental cars, lodging, race registration, and other expenses associated with competing at the regional and national levels.
Help cover the costs of flights, rental cars, lodging, race registration, and other expenses associated with competing at the regional and national levels. The UMass Running Club has qualified for NIRCA Cross Country National Championships in Shelbyville, IN! Over the past five years, our teams have competed at the national level seven times, and this year both our men’s and women’s teams are the reigning Northeast Regional Champions. Our goal this season is to build on that success and continue competing at the highest level of collegiate club running. Throughout the season, our athletes compete at regional meets and work toward qualifying for Nationals, where we have had the opportunity to represent UMass Amherst year after year. We are fundraising to help cover the costs of flights, rental cars, lodging, race registration, and other expenses associated with competing at the regional and national levels. Every contribution helps make these opportunities possible for our athletes. Any funds raised beyond the costs of Nationals will go directly toward supporting the club as a whole, helping us provide more opportunities for all of our members through future competitions, travel, equipment, and club events. Whether you donate or simply share our fundraiser, your support helps us continue to compete, grow our team, and represent UMass on the national stage.
$735
29%
Funded
9
Donors
12
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International Society of Equitation Science Conference
International Society of Equitation Science Conference
Help the Equitation Science Club attend a conference!
Help the Equitation Science Club attend a conference! The Equitation Science Club was founded three years ago to promote positive equine welfare, teach students about handling and health of horses, and provide many opportunities for students to network in the equine industry as well as shadow professionals. This year we are hoping to take the next step in our club's goal of traveling to the 2027 International Society of Equitation Science Conference. Every year the conference is located in a different location, this year being Portugal. With that being said, we can't go without your help! Any contribution, big or small, makes a difference. All of your generous donations will be used towards travel fees, hotels, and conference fees. We have recently been presented with a very exciting opportunity to present our club at the conference! Attending this conference would be an amazing opportunity for students to learn about advancements in the equine industry. The conference presents new findings and research on equine behavior and how it affects the way humans handle and interact with horses. Even if you're not an equestrian rider, the fundamental experience gained from this conference would be invaluable. The knowledge we would gain at this conference can be applied in a multitude of ways, such as making medical procedures safer and less stressful for the horse, improving horse and rider connection, increasing students' ability to notice and assess a horse's affective state, and improving equine welfare in everyday handling skills. We would really appreciate your consideration in helping us further our club's goals and making a difference in the equine industry!
$2,410
48%
Funded
21
Donors
22
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FlowMLLab: Open AI for Aerospace Education and Research
FlowMLLab: Open AI for Aerospace Education and Research
Help UMass students learn and advance AI-powered aerospace engineering through open, reproducible CFD and machine-learning tools.
Help UMass students learn and advance AI-powered aerospace engineering through open, reproducible CFD and machine-learning tools. Ehsan Roohi & FlowMLLab Artificial intelligence is changing aerospace engineering, but access to the computing resources, validated data, and hands-on experience needed to use it remains unequal. FlowMLLab (https://github.com/Ehsan-Roohi/FlowMLLab) is an open-source education and research platform at UMass Amherst that helps students connect fluid mechanics, aerospace engineering, and modern machine learning. Students do more than run ready-made AI models. They generate and analyze computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data, train and test machine-learning models, examine where predictions succeed or fail, and learn how physical laws can make AI more reliable. Current and planned projects span aerodynamics, propulsion, high-speed and rarefied flows, digital twins, scientific machine learning, and aerospace machine vision. MinuteFund support will directly help students turn these ideas into working projects. Contributions will provide GPU and cloud-computing access; support student-led independent studies, validation studies, and research demonstrations; and help purchase shared equipment such as NVIDIA Jetson computers, cameras, sensors, data-storage devices, and related experimental hardware. These resources will allow students to move from simulation to physical demonstrations by deploying trained models on compact computers and testing machine-vision methods for flow visualization, feature detection, and experimental measurement. Support will also help students present their work at technical conferences, workshops, and university research events. These experiences give students an opportunity to communicate their results, receive feedback from the scientific community, and build the professional skills needed for careers in aerospace engineering, computational science, and artificial intelligence. FlowMLLab already includes tested notebooks that combine Python, CFD, neural networks, reduced-order modeling, and operator learning. New funding will allow us to expand these materials into validated datasets, reproducible notebooks, tutorials, videos, and a free community package that educators, students, and researchers can reuse and extend. Because FlowMLLab is open source, each contribution can benefit more than one student, course, or semester. A project developed today can become a classroom module, a research tool, or a publicly available resource for learners who do not have access to costly commercial software. Your gift will help transform student ideas into validated simulations, working AI demonstrations, conference presentations, and lasting open-source resources. It will give UMass students the physical insight, computational skills, and responsible AI experience needed to design better aerospace systems while sharing the results with the broader community. Meet the Team!Dominque HabchiNaoya Miyamoto Aryan Mohta Francis Padilla
$25
0%
Funded
1
Supporters
23
days left
Support Survivors & Violence Free Community 2026
Support Survivors & Violence Free Community 2026
Your Donation Makes A Difference All contributions will directly support survivors and a violence-free community through services such as: Free 24/7 support and advocacy hotline Safety planning Help obtaining a restraining order and working through the legal system Support while in the hospital for medical care including a Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE) Ongoing Counseling & Support groups Workshops on topics such as consent, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention Intensive trainings such as “Community Leaders in Violence Prevention “ Trainings on “How to Receive a Disclosure and Support Survivors” Help make a difference! Learn more about CWC
$2,359
29%
Funded
39
Donors
25
days left
UMass Dance Team 2026-2027
UMass Dance Team 2026-2027
Support the UMass Dance Team!
Support the UMass Dance Team! The UMass Dance Team is made up of dedicated, hardworking student-athletes who are proud to represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst both on and off the field. We perform at all home football and basketball games, UMass community events, and at Collegiate Nationals! Our mission is to create a positive, safe, and hardworking environment where our dancers can share their passion and commitment to dance with one another and with the UMass community. Being a member of the UMass Dance Team goes far beyond what you see on game day. In addition to being full-time students, our dancers dedicate countless hours behind the scenes to training, rehearsing, conditioning, and preparing professional, polished performances. Throughout the year, we have the opportunity to represent UMass at special events and travel alongside the Minuteman Marching Band, including appearances at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 250th Concord Parade, and numerous collegiate competitions. We have also supported UMass Athletics at events such as the MAC Tournament and UMass Football’s away games at UConn, Army, and Penn State. During the fall semester, our team trains intensively in preparation for our biggest opportunity of the year: traveling to Florida in January to compete at UDA College Nationals. Each year, the UMass Dance Team competes at UDA Nationals in the highly competitive Division IA category. Nationals is an incredible opportunity for our dancers to represent UMass Amherst on a national stage and showcase the dedication, passion, and countless hours of work that go into our program. Your donation directly helps make this experience possible. Contributions support the cost of uniforms, costumes, travel, registration, competition gear, and other essential expenses that allow our dancers to look and feel their best while representing UMass. Every donation, no matter the amount, makes a difference and helps our team continue to grow, compete, and proudly represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Thank you for supporting the UMass Dance Team and helping us put our best foot forward at UDA Nationals!
$4,300
86%
Funded
54
Donors
25
days left
ZooDisc 2026
ZooDisc 2026
Help us to have another great season!
Help us to have another great season! Men's Club Ultimate Frisbee Zoodisc is UMass Amherst's Men's Club Ultimate Frisbee A Team, and the USA Ultimate College Division 1 reigning national champions. In 2026, the team had a tumultuous regular season but an epic run through the series, culminating in a 15-11 win over the previous year's national champions, Carleton CUT. Aside from the final, Zoodisc didn't allow a single opponent in the postseason to score more than 10 points. But even more important than the results of the season were the memories made, the bonds formed, and the forever love that the men of Zoodisc had for each other. But upon returning back to Amherst, we discovered that our budget had been cut by more than half. While the boys wanted to have another season of love and success, we realized that the costs for tournaments would skyrocket for the team and for individual players. On a team where we want everyone to play without worry, our budget being cut impaired that ideal. By donating to our team, you help take the burden off the players shoulders. Our budget goes to hotels, travel, coaching and other tournament costs. We're truly grateful for anything you can give to support us, no matter how small.
$1,400
5%
Funded
6
Donors
31
days left
Massachusetts Daily Collegian 2026-2027
Massachusetts Daily Collegian 2026-2027
Support UMass Amherst's student journalists!
Support UMass Amherst's student journalists! Dear students, faculty, staff, and our alumni! Your student-run, independent campus newspaper again needs your support as we launch our annual MinuteFund fundraising campaign. Hooray! Since 1890, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has served the UMass Amherst community with pride, purpose, and a commitment to free and responsible journalism. Every story we publish, photo we take, and magazine we print is made possible by the generosity of our readers and donors like you. Thanks to your continued support, so far we’ve been able: Send three writers and a photographer all the way to Sacramento, California to cover the first-ever West Coast UMass football game. Print our first magazine for the Fall 2026 semester, with more planned throughout the year. Design and sell new merchandise (arguably the most exciting). These achievements have transformed our newsroom and allowed us to elevate the standards of student journalism we hold ourselves to. But we’re not done yet. With your help in this year’s campaign, we hope to: Send more writers to conferences in Kansas City and Atlanta, many different events and tournaments, across the state and country to gain firsthand reporting experience. Expand our print capacity, allowing us to publish and distribute more of our full-color magazines across campus and the surrounding community. Continue to grow our multimedia output through photo, video, and social media. Your donations, no matter the amount, directly fund opportunities that empower our journalists, editors, and photographers. Thank you for your support and for continuing to inform, engage, and inspire the UMass community one story at a time. If you have any questions, concerns, or words of advice on how we can make this campaign as successful as possible, please reach out to collegian@umass.edu. We sincerely appreciate any help to grow and develop our paper to be the best it can be! Thank you, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian Staff
$100
0%
Funded
1
Donors
29
days left
UMass Finance Society New York City Networking Trip
UMass Finance Society New York City Networking Trip
For nearly 20 years, the UMass Finance Society has brought students to New York City to connect with leading finance firms and alumni. In the past, 12 students have participated, meeting professionals at firms such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan. The trip helps students build relationships, gain industry insight, and create career connections. This year, a budget reduction has created a significant funding gap, and outside support is needed to keep this opportunity available to future UMass students.
$0
0%
Funded
0
Donors
29
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UMass Men's Club Soccer 2026-2027 Regionals
UMass Men's Club Soccer 2026-2027 Regionals
Please help UMass Men’s Club Soccer compete at NIRSA Regionals on October 24–25, 2026!
Please help UMass Men’s Club Soccer compete at NIRSA Regionals on October 24–25, 2026! Welcome to the 2026-2027 UMass Men's Club Soccer Minute Fund campaign. Our program is a dedicated group of student athletes who pride ourselves on representing the university with excellence and sportsmanship. We are preparing to compete at NIRSA Regionals on October 24th and 25th, an opportunity to represent UMass against other club soccer programs from across the region. Because we are a student-run organization, we are responsible for managing our own operations and finances. We are fundraising to cover essential costs associated with attending regionals, including travel, lodging, and tournament entry fees. Our players also take pride in mentoring the next generation of athletes through our volunteer work with Amherst Youth Soccer. While we work hard to keep dues affordable for our members, the rising costs of competing at a regional and national level present a significant challenge. We have set a goal of $2,000 for this campaign to help bridge the gap in our funding. These contributions will directly support our trip to NIRSA Regionals and help ensure that every player has the opportunity to participate regardless of their financial background. Whether you are an alum, a family member, or a fan of the sport, your support helps keep our program strong and gives our team the opportunity to represent UMass on the regional stage.
$1,380
69%
Funded
13
Donors
12
days left
Mass Mileage Club
Mass Mileage Club
Help us go to the Shell Eco-Marathon, where we can compete against other collegiate teams to achieve the highest fuel economy.
Help us go to the Shell Eco-Marathon, where we can compete against other collegiate teams to achieve the highest fuel economy. Welcome to UMass’ Legacy Design Team. We are excited to have the chance to share our journey with you and welcome you to support us for the 2026-2027 year. Your contribution to the team allows us to carry on tradition and innovation in the field of engineering. Established as a class in 1995, UMass Supermileage has had a long history of competing in the SAE Supermileage Competition, a tradition that unfortunately came to a close in 2022, along with the class that started it all. The following fall, our founder, Julius Rosenthal, rallied a dedicated group of freshmen to reestablish the team. Since then, we have grown into a strong team of 40 experienced members, known as Mass Mileage. Currently, we compete in the Shell Eco-Marathon, hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where we have the chance to compete against other collegiate teams to achieve the highest fuel economy. In 2025, thanks to hard work and your support, we accomplished a run of 414 Miles Per Gallon! It has been a long road to get there and we have even more ambitious goals ahead of us. This year we are aiming to top 1000 Miles Per Gallon, as well as beginning work on a new Battery Electric Vehicle. Both of these missions require your help. Your donations allow us to begin fabricating the new monocoque for the BE vehicle, develop the subsystems in our Internal Combustion Engine vehicle and build the Battery Electric systems up from zero. By sponsoring Mass Mileage, you will be supporting a team that has overcome adversity and embodies resilience and passion. You will have the opportunity to provide young engineers with a hands-on learning experience and build connections with our members as we progress in our careers. Please feel free to reach out with any questions Thank you for considering supporting Mass Mileage.
$965
38%
Funded
8
Donors
28
days left
Minuteman Racing FSAE 2026-2027
Founded in 2019 by Abhishek Ravi, Minutemen Racing is the Formula SAE team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. We are a student-run design team with the mission of designing, building, and competing with our own Formula-style race car. The team consists of 50 students across a wide range of majors, who have worked on the development and assembly of our FSAE car that was ready for testing in the spring of 2026. We have recently accomplished the major milestone in bringing our first car to the Pittsburgh Shootout, a regional competition where we displayed the dedicated attitude of our team to our sponsors and other schools across the country! Minutemen Racing is building on the momentum of our first competition as we prepare to take our team and our car to the next level of FSAE competition. We plan to iterate on our current car and return stronger to the Pittsburgh Shootout in August 2027 while simultaneously developing our next-generation car with the goal of competing at FSAE Michigan in May 2028. Our team is growing rapidly, and this year we are welcoming 20 new members following the most competitive application cycle in team history. As we continue to expand, we are also working to become more involved in the Western Massachusetts community through events such as local car shows, giving us opportunities to showcase the hard work, dedication, and talent of our team. Competing at Michigan and successfully building our next car is a major challenge, but it has become a driving force for our team and a source of motivation as we continue to grow. With that growth and momentum comes an increasing need for resources and funding. Minutemen Racing is dedicated to the professional development of its members, providing students with hands-on experience that furthers careers, building industry and academic professionals. Your donations mean the world to us, and we are so grateful for your continued support. These gifts will impact the experience of undergraduates for years to come. To learn more about our team, check out our website at https://www.minutemenracing.com/. Thank you!
The Laura Valdiviezo Teacher’s Fund
Help prepare future educators committed to educational equity, inclusion, linguistic diversity, and social justice.
Help prepare future educators committed to educational equity, inclusion, linguistic diversity, and social justice. Honor the Legacy of Dr. Laura Alicia Valdiviezo Arista! Dr. Laura Alicia Valdiviezo Arista dedicated her life to expanding educational opportunity, advancing social justice, and celebrating the cultural and linguistic richness that students bring to the classroom. A beloved professor, mentor, scholar, and community leader, Laura's work transformed the lives of countless students, educators, and families around the world. To honor her extraordinary legacy, The Laura Valdiviezo Teacher's Fund has been established to support graduate students in the Department of Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies at the UMass Amherst College of Education, with preference given to students with experience working with multilingual learners. Your gift will help future educators continue the work that defined Laura's life—creating inclusive learning environments, uplifting diverse voices, and ensuring that all students are valued, seen, and supported. A Life Dedicated to Educational Equity Born in Lima, Peru, Laura brought her Quechua, African, and Hispanic heritage into every aspect of her teaching, research, and service. Fluent in Spanish, Quechua, Portuguese, and Italian, she believed deeply in the power of language, culture, and education to build understanding across communities. Since joining the UMass Amherst College of Education in 2007, Laura served as a professor, department chair, director of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies, Chancellor's Leadership Fellow, and mentor to generations of students and colleagues. Her scholarship and advocacy, including many publications as well as presentations and lectures at home and internationally, focused on bilingual and intercultural education, indigenous knowledge, language policy, and social justice. Laura's research, leadership, and community engagement reflected her conviction that schools can be spaces of transformation—places where linguistic diversity is celebrated, equity is advanced, and students are empowered to thrive. She inspired educators to embrace critical thinking, cultural responsiveness, and a commitment to justice in their classrooms and communities. Investing in the Educators Laura Inspired Throughout her career, Laura was known not only for her scholarly accomplishments but also for her generosity, humility, and unwavering dedication to her students. She welcomed students into her home, mentored emerging scholars, and cultivated a sense of belonging for those pursuing careers in education. This scholarship fund will help ensure that her commitment to future educators continues for generations to come. By supporting graduate students who share Laura's passion for multilingual education and educational equity, donors can help prepare teachers and leaders who will make a meaningful difference in students' and communities' lives for generations to come. . Make a Gift in Laura's Memory A gift to the Laura Valdiviezo Teacher's Fund is a powerful way to honor Laura's life, values, and enduring impact. We know that even small actions of many people can create meaningful change. We also know that together, our gifts, small and large, can carry forward her vision of a more just, inclusive, and culturally affirming educational future. Please consider making a gift today to support the next generation of educators inspired by Dr. Laura Alicia Valdiviezo Arista's remarkable legacy. Note: Our objective is to establish an endowed scholarship, and therefore gifts will be directed to a pre-endowment fund. If we do not achieve the minimum threshold to endow ($25K) the scholarship will be distributed for a term of years rather than in perpetuity.
Marilyn V. Patton Naming Campaign
Honoring Marilyn V. Patton, this effort supports a new dance studio for future generations at UMass.
Honoring Marilyn V. Patton, this effort supports a new dance studio for future generations at UMass. Thank you for your interest in supporting this important renovation. To date, we have received in toward our $150,000 goal. Marilyn V. Patton (or MVP as her students knew her) has dedicated her life to the art of dance. For 27 years, from 1965-1992, Marilyn led the UMass Dance program. During her time leading UMass Dance, Marilyn transformed the lives of thousands of Dance students. This year we celebrate the 60th anniversary of UMass Dance, and Marilyn’s 90th birthday! We also look forward to celebrating a new home for UMass Dance. For generations of students at UMass Amherst, the UMass Dance program has held rehearsals and performances in the Totman Gym. We are thrilled to announce that Dance will move into a newly-renovated location at 472 North Pleasant Street. The new space, opening in the fall 2026 semester, will include a large, fully outfitted performance space with sprung floors and new dressing rooms, as well as a separate rehearsal studio. UMass Dance alumni wish to honor Marilyn by naming the new rehearsal studio in honor of Marilyn, for her years of tireless work in leading UMass Dance. The space will be named the Marilyn V. Patton Dance Studio! This new studio will be more than a room. It is where dancers will train their bodies, refine their artistry, and build confidence together. It is where ideas will take shape before they ever reach the stage, and where students will discover discipline, expression, and belonging through movement. This is a group effort to support the Marilyn V. Patton Dance Studio. Your gift will ensure this new space will be welcoming and inspiring for the students who rely on it every day. By supporting the renovation of this rehearsal studio, you are investing directly in the creative lives of student dancers and in the future of dance at UMass Amherst. Thank you for honoring Marilyn and helping to create a space where movement becomes meaning, and where students can continue to learn, create, and thrive. Questions? Would you like to pay your commitment off over a fiver-year period? Please email Robby O'Sullivan, Executive Director of Development at the UMass Amherst Foundation to discuss your giving options. He is happy to assist with all efforts around this project. Mailing your gift If you prefer to give by mail, please make your check or money order payable to UMass Amherst Foundation. In the memo line, note the designation of your gift to support the Marilyn V. Patton Dance Studio Fund. Please send your gift to: University of Massachusetts Amherst FoundationRecords and Gift ProcessingMemorial Hall, 134 Hicks WayAmherst, MA 01003 More ways to give There are many ways to support this space and the students who rely on it. To learn more about additional giving options, including planned giving, gifts of assets, or other creative ways to make an impact, please visit our Ways to Give page. Should gifts to the Fund not reach $150,000 by June 30, 2031, all gifts received will be used to support the Marilyn V. Patton University Dancers Endowment
American Hotel & Lodging Association 2026
American Hotel & Lodging Association 2026
Support our annual Fall Industry Trip!
Support our annual Fall Industry Trip! The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Student Chapter at UMass is a registered student organization that helps students prepare for careers in the hospitality industry. As part of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, we connect students with real-world industry experience beyond the classroom. At our meetings, members network with hotel executives, industry professionals, and UMass alumni working in hospitality. These events provide valuable mentorship, career advice, and insight into internships and full-time opportunities within the lodging industry. We are currently raising money to support our fall trip in November, where students tour resort and hotel properties to meet with hospitality leaders. Fundraising helps ensure all members can participate in this hands-on, career-building experience.
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