At the University of Houston, philanthropy isn’t defined by the size of a gift. It’s defined by the community behind it.
Whether you’re making your first gift or continuing a tradition of support, your participation helps create opportunities for students, strengthen programs and fuel the momentum behind Can’t Stop Houston: The Centennial Campaign.
Every March 7, UH Giving Day transforms individual generosity into collective impact. Last year, more than 700 Cougars raised $240,000 to support students, strengthen programs and create opportunities across the University.
No student should have to choose between paying for school and putting food on the table. Through CoogsGiving, the Cougar community helps stock the Cougar Cupboard and support other student-centered initiatives. Last year, more than $30,000 helped provide over 90,000 meals for students experiencing food insecurity.
PawFunder is the University of Houston’s crowdfunding platform, where students, organizations and departments can launch fundraising campaigns, and alumni, faculty, staff and friends can support the projects and initiatives that matter most to them.
As you celebrate your graduation, leave your mark on the University of Houston. A gift of $10 or more earns you a Cougar Spirit Cord to wear at commencement while helping future students begin their own UH journey. This year, Spirit Cord gifts support the Cougar Experience Scholarship, providing housing assistance that helps first-time students build community, succeed academically and thrive at UH.
Flexible support for the moments that matter most. When an unexpected financial challenge threatened a student’s semester, the Fund for UH helped keep them enrolled and on track to graduate. That’s the power of flexible support; it allows the University to respond quickly to student needs, emerging opportunities and priorities that cannot wait.
Whether you’re making your first gift, exploring ways to support UH or looking for the opportunity that’s right for you, we’re here to help.
📧giving@uh.edu
📞 713-743-4708
Anessa Rios-Ezeude (‘15), M.B.A., CFRE
Executive Director, Engagement Communications and Annual Giving
Karras Mayes
Associate Director of Annual Giving
Julia Garza (‘21)
Assistant Director of Membership and Benefits
Nae Reign
Digital Fundraising Coordinator
Cameron Bernard
Campaigns Coordinator, Special Programs
Reality: Philanthropy means “love of humanity.” At its core, it is the act of using your resources, time, talent, voice or financial support to create opportunities for others. At UH, almost everyone we meet is a philanthropist.
Real impact is often built through many people giving consistently over time, not just a few large, one-time gifts.
Most charitable giving in America comes from everyday people. At the University of Houston, scholarships, student support funds, emergency assistance and university-wide campaigns are often powered by thousands of individual gifts working together. Even a recurring gift of $10 a month provides dependable support that UH can count on to respond to student needs, plan ahead and create opportunities throughout the year.
Tuition helps keep the University running. Philanthropy helps move it forward.
Think of it this way: Tuition helps pay for the essentials needed to operate a university. Philanthropic support helps create the opportunities and innovations that make a UH education extraordinary, such as scholarships, student experiences, groundbreaking research, new programs, emergency support for students and investments that prepare UH for the future.
Every member of the Cougar community has a different starting point.
Some people make a gift. Others volunteer, mentor students, attend events, advocate for UH or help share the university’s story. There is no single path to engagement and no judgment about where yours begins. What matters most is choosing to stay connected.