About University of California Merced Foundation
The University of California, Merced Foundation is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation organized for the purpose of encouraging voluntary private support for the benefit of the UC Merced campus.
Focus Areas
higher educationresearchstudent scholarships and supportathleticsarts and humanitiesemergency student services (e.g., food pantry)
Who They Fund
studentsscholarship recipients
Funding Style
direct service (scholarships)individual supportprogram-specific educational funding
About University of California Merced Foundation
A defining feature of the University of California Merced Foundation is how tightly its giving is tied to UC Merced itself: the two largest recent grants both went to the University of California Merced in Merced, including a $7,795,245 grant in 2024 and a $4,359,769 grant in 2025. That pattern fits the foundation’s stated purpose of encouraging voluntary private support for the benefit of the UC Merced campus. Its grantmaking supports higher education, research, student scholarships and support, athletics, arts and humanities, and emergency student services such as a food pantry. The foundation’s active grant programs show a campus-centered funding model built around research, fellowships, scholarships, and student aid. Examples include the Chancellor’s Research Fund, the Chancellor’s Fellowship Fund, CalTeach Program and Scholarships, and the Build the Future Scholarship Fund. It also supports endowed scholarship programs such as the AARP Merced Chapter #282 Scholarship Endowed Fund and the Bank of America Distinguished Management Endowed Scholars Program. Beneath those program labels is a consistent emphasis on student support at UC Merced and on funding structures that help the campus recruit, retain, and advance students and faculty research.
What University of California Merced Foundation Funds
Scholarship and student aid are central to the foundation’s work. The CalTeach Program and Scholarships support teacher development, scholarships, and professional development for prospective teachers, with a Central Valley footprint. The Build the Future Scholarship Fund provides financial awards to support students’ education at UC Merced, and the AT&T Foundation Scholarship is another student aid program tied to the campus. Research funding is another clear theme. Through the Chancellor’s Research Fund, the foundation supports faculty research and scholarship at UC Merced. The Black Research Fellowship Fund extends that pattern to fellowships and awards or stipends for scholars. Graduate recruitment and academic progression also appear in the Chancellor’s Fellowship Fund and the Central Valley Graduate Fellowship, both of which focus on graduate education and student support. The foundation also maintains program-specific support for management education through the Bank of America Distinguished Management Endowed Scholars Program, which combines scholarship with leadership development.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.6M
Total Assets
$42.2M
Total Revenue
$4.7M
Total Expenses
$4.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2.9M and $6.1M, with a median of $4.4M.
25th Percentile
$2.9M
Median
$4.4M
75th Percentile
$6.1M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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