Giving
University of Houston Libraries supports the vision of the University by enhancing student learning, participating in the development of scholarship and creative output through specialized research consulting, and promoting discovery of information and knowledge from diverse and relevant resources. We collaborate with faculty to support the learning needs of students through our library instruction and open educational resources (OER) programs; offer a variety of research services for all UH scholars in data analysis, collection, management, preservation, visualization, and publishing; and provide access to scholarly materials in support of the University’s learning and research goals.
UH Libraries serves the scholarly community by virtue of your philanthropic support. You can create an enriched learning and research experience for Coogs that will empower them to make meaningful impact on the communities in which they live and work. Your generosity helps provide new spaces, services, and resources that advance the UH vision of becoming a Top 50 Public University.
Giving Opportunities
Charitable giving is personal. Choosing a cause to support expresses your deepest values and reflects your vision of the world and yourself. The University of Houston Libraries offers opportunities for you to make a gift where it matters most to you:
Library Dean’s Fund
The mission of the Library Excellence Fund to advance student success, knowledge creation and preservation, and globally competitive research.
Contributions to the Library Dean’s Fund advance student success by providing the dean with access to resources that address immediate needs of UH students, faculty, and the scholarly community.
This unrestricted fund supports UH Libraries’ daily operations, special programs, and initiatives that may not otherwise be available through standard funding streams. Gifts to this fund empower UH Libraries to shape an immersive culture of research and learning by serving as an integral and engaging space for scholarship.
Many donors can double or triple their gifts through corporate match programs.
Library Endowments
An endowment is a permanent source of funding, in which the principal amount stays intact while the generated interest provides a consistent stream of income to be used for purposes designated by the donor.
Funding an endowment is one of the most far-reaching acts of philanthropy because an endowed fund provides sustaining support over a long period of time. It is a permanent tribute to the person whose name it bears, and a sound investment in the future.
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UH Library Endowments for gifts of $25,000
Endowments provide stability for the Libraries’ programs because the principal gift is retained to produce income on an annual basis, in perpetuity. Only a portion of the annual investment return is used for the purpose intended by the donor in support of the Libraries. The rest of the investment yield is returned to the principal, and over time, the fund grows. Creating an endowment is an excellent way to ensure your legacy at UH because UH holds the principal of your gift in perpetuity, and over time as, interest earnings bring growth to endowments. UH Endowments begin at $25,000 and may be paid over five years. You may name an endowment for your family, company, or in memory of a loved one. For certain endowment gifts that provide money for acquisition of library reading materials, UH Libraries will create a commemorative bookplate for the books purchased.
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Endowed Chairs and Professorships for gifts of $250,000 to $1,000,000
Endowed Chairs and Professorships are an exceptional honor, bestowing upon a faculty member respect and recognition as well as additional research and teaching resources. These endowments allow the university to recruit and retain top faculty and reward those who are top in their fields. University Endowed professorships start at $500,000; College Endowed Professorships at $250,000; and Endowed Chairs at $1,000,000.
How are endowment gifts managed?
Endowment gifts to the UH System are placed in the UH System Endowment Fund for investment and oversight purposes. The UHS Board of Regents has adopted the broad objective of investing endowment assets to preserve both their real value and the long range purchasing power of endowment income. The board seeks superior investment returns through a diversified, professionally managed portfolio to minimize risks. Once an endowment is fully funded, it will take approximately one year to earn the appropriate interest for distribution. The distribution amount is a percentage (currently 4%) based on a three-year rolling average of the market value. The remaining earnings will be added to the principal to allow it to grow over time. Once a year you will receive a report detailing your endowment’s financial information.
Give to Special Collections
The mission of Special Collections is to preserve, safeguard, organize, and describe materials in our collecting areas, making them available for current and future generations. Special Collections supports the teaching and research activities of the University of Houston, and serves as a resource for the scholarly community and the general public.
The services provided include:
- Reference and instruction
- Archival collections and books processing
- Digitization
- Collection development
- Exhibits
- Marketing and outreach
Memorial & Honorary Gift
A gift to UH Libraries is a significant way to honor or memorialize loved ones, recognize joyous occasions, express gratitude, or commemorate lives that matter to you most –- while also empowering education and making a meaningful contribution to your community.
For big reasons, or no reason at all
- Celebrate – birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, wedding anniversaries, bar or bat mitzvahs, births, graduations, holidays
- Recognize achievements, promotions, retirements, or milestones
- Offer condolences or sympathy
When you make a commemorative gift, an attractive personalized card & letter is sent to the person or family you specify. The amount of the gift is never disclosed unless you request us to do so.
We send a tax receipt to you, the donor, since UH Libraries are a part of the University of Houston, a tax qualified charitable & educational organization.
Each gift is used to improve and expand the library’s facilities, equipment, and programs in keeping with our strategic plan. You will also receive recognition inside eligible donor publications.
Giving FAQ >
From deductions to donor rights, we’ve got answers to your giving-related questions.
UH Development Office >
Need more information, or just want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you!
Library Development
James Hays
Development Officer
713-743-3886