Thank you for considering donating to the University of St Andrews American Foundation, Inc.
This year has seen the University of St Andrews achieve a historic double in being ranked Number 1 in the UK by both the Guardian University Guide 2024 and The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024. This is also the third year in a row that St Andrews has achieved a top spot in one of these guides, attesting to the excellence we deliver in teaching, student experience and career prospects following graduation.
Donations from our alumni, families and friends have played a critical role in the achievement of these rankings supporting a range of vital projects. These include the creation of the state-of-the-art Laidlaw Music Centre; the refurbishment of the iconic Younger Hall, where our renowned graduation ceremonies take place; and most recently our donor community have helped to increase the level of support available for students facing financial hardship. This has been even more necessary during the past year with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
If you are able, please consider joining the many other alumni and family members in joining our donor community by making a gift to one of our fundraising priorities using the form above (more information can be found below). Every gift helps to give more students the best St Andrews experience possible.
Fundraising priorities
General Funds
Areas of greatest need: We are very grateful to donors who choose to support St Andrews with a gift to the areas of greatest need fund. This allows us to determine the most appropriate use for your gift with the flexibility to respond to changing needs while striking a delicate balance between short-term solutions and long-term strategic priorities.
In recent years areas of greatest need donations have been used to support a range of projects. These include undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships, the creation of new facilities such as the Laidlaw Music Centre, the redevelopment of student facilities including the Younger Hall and Sports Centre, and a range of projects to assist students and staff across the University community. A key area of support in recent times is the University’s cost of living task force which provides practical help, information and resources for students and staff. This work is ongoing and includes offering subsidized travel and food, warm social spaces, employment advice and financial support.
600th Anniversary Endowment Fund: Donations to the University’s endowment will help to ensure St Andrews remains one of the world’s finest universities for generations to come. In particular supporting the University's General Endowment Fund – the 600th Anniversary Endowment Fund - helps provide funds for a range of projects in a similar way to the areas of greatest need funds above. Donations can also be made to specific endowments to support scholarships, academic chairs, and other projects. For more information, please contact a member of our US fundraising team (details below).
Scholarships & Student Support
USA Wardlaw Scholarship: Scholarships have always been at the heart of the University of St Andrews – from the gift that first created four bursaries in 1450, to the scholarship that enabled Nobel Prize-winning pharmacologist James Black to begin his university studies, to the financial support that we are able to give today’s students.
The USA Wardlaw Scholarships were established in 2019 to allow donors to the USA Foundation to support undergraduate scholars from the USA who wish to study at the University of St Andrews. To date four students have been supported during their entire time at St Andrews, giving them the confidence to accept their hard-earned place to study here. These also allow students to experience sport, societies, and the unique traditions that make St Andrews so special.
Postgraduate Scholarships: The Handsel Scheme is research-focused and aims to attract the most talented postgraduates, regardless of their home or overseas fee status. These scholarships are used to support students from across the world including the USA.
Student Support: The cost-of-living crisis has posed numerous challenges for students, with many struggling to find ways to cover essential costs without serious detriment to their studies. Donations to the Student Support Funds have been used to support students requiring short term assistance with rent, bills and childcare, and to meet one-off, unexpected and unaffordable expenses.
Academic Schools
‘New College’: At the heart of our fundraising campaign is the £100m redevelopment of a ‘New College’ for St Andrews. The ‘New College’ will be home to the School of International Relations and to a world-leading Business School, comprising the Schools of Economics and Finance, and Management.
Mathematics & Statistics capital redevelopment: Another key project is the investment in a state-of-the-art, carbon-neutral building for the School of Mathematics and Statistics. The original 1970s Mathematics building is too small and is no longer fit for purpose. The new building will also enable research groups from Physics and Astronomy, Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry and Medicine to work collaboratively to address global challenges ranging from infectious disease to wellbeing and sustainability.More information can be found here.
Mackenzie Institute: The Sir James Mackenzie Institute for Early Diagnosis is the result of a new strategic vision for the School of Medicine. It is an interdisciplinary research collaboration committed to fostering ideas and sharing knowledge and skills to enable earlier diagnosis of human disease. The Mackenzie Institute has well-established medical research collaborations with the Schools of Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Computer Science, which is internationally renowned for its specialisms in machine learning and artificial intelligence. It also has established partnerships with universities within the UK, internationally and within industry.
Entrepreneurial St Andrews
Entrepreneurship is one of the core themes in the University’s Strategy. The University is investing in the Eden Campus to establish a regional focus for innovation, with the Entrepreneurship Centre on site to provide start-up opportunities, practical training courses and a calendar of events. The Eden Campus also supports spinouts, supporting regeneration at a local level and ground-breaking, innovative research at a national level. You can find out more here.
Sustainable St Andrews
The University’s commitment to sustainability and achieving net zero by 2035 is demonstrated by a range of projects including the Centre for Energy Ethics, St Andrews Forest, St Andrews Prize for the Environment, Blue Carbon; Towards Net Zero and several interdisciplinary research projects. Find out more here.
Sport
Sport plays a significant part in student life at St Andrews: over half of our students participate in physical activities. The University recently invested in a major £14 million refurbishment and extension of the indoor sports facilities and recruited several highly qualified, specialist staff to help realize our vision of achieving excellence in sport, enhancing the student experience through sport, and increasing engagement in sport within and outwith the University. You can support different aspects of sporting activity at the University, find out more here.
Music
The University offers a range of musical opportunities to perform, study and listen, for students and for all who wish to become involved. These opportunities were further enhanced in April 2022 with the opening of the state-of-the-art Laidlaw Music Centre – thanks to the support of many alumni, families and friends including a number of US donors.
Support is still needed for scholarships, instruments, and equipment, touring productions, and recording costs, as well as outreach within our communities in Fife.
Town & Gown
St Andrews is close to the hearts of many people within its community and beyond and is the academic home to all of our alumni. For 600 years the University, the town, and the wider community of Fife have shared in each other's vulnerabilities and triumphs. Now we have the opportunity to recognise the continuing bond of care through the creation of the University Community Fund in 2020.
Other Ways to Support St Andrews
SaintsFunder
SaintsFunder is our dedicated crowdfunding platform. Available to students, staff, academics, schools, service units and alumni to enable them to fundraise for projects, on behalf of the University community. Please visit SaintsFunder to find out more.
Legacies
By leaving a gift to St Andrews, you can become part of the University’s story and create a lasting impact for generations to come. For more information please contact: Katrina Bell, Legacies Manager. Email keb32@st-andrews.ac.uk
Other fundraising projects
If you don't see the area that you would like to support on our giving pages, then please contact a member of our US team below and they will be happy to discuss projects with you.
Kathryn Humphreys, Head of Development (United States)
Email: kgh4@st-andrews.ac.uk Phone: +1 215-718-5503
Lily Nguyen, Development Officer (Western US)
Email: lxn1@st-andrews.ac.uk Phone: +1 323-561-1930
Moira Sharkey, Senior Development Officer (Eastern US)
Email: ms419@st-andrews.ac.uk Phone: +1 508-287-0871
Leah Dalton, Alumni, Events & Family Programme Manager (United States)
Email: ld207@st-andrews.ac.uk Phone: +1 410-662-2525
Update Your Details
Even if you are not able to make a gift, please visit our website at https://sparc.st-andrews.ac.uk/ to check that the contact information we hold is correct.
Data and Privacy Notice: Please be assured that information will be held and used in strict accordance with our Development Privacy Notice and any mailing and email preferences of which you have made us aware. Accordingly, based on your preferences, your information may be used to keep you up to date with news and developments at the University, including University, alumni, and supporter news; information about events and reunions; fundraising campaigns; and networking, career, and volunteering opportunities. Further details of how we make use of your personal data and protect your privacy are available in our Development Privacy Notice: www.st-andrews.ac.uk/development/your-data-and-privacy/. A printed copy is also available on request.
Gift Acceptance Policy (PDF)