Your Giving Questions Answered

Thank you for considering a gift to the Center.

Answers on this page:
How has the decline in the economy affected the Center? >>
Why is my gift important? >>
Will my small gift make a difference? >>
Why should I give to the Center when there are other organizations that need my support? >>
Why is my gift needed by August 31st? >>

See Also:
Frequently Asked Questions about the CASBS-Stanford Relationship >>

How has the decline in the economy affected the center?
The decline in the economy created new challenges for our institution. We depend heavily upon our endowment to operate year-to-year. In fact, our endowment is our primary source of income. Like many of our peers, our Center has seen the value of its investments decline recently. The impact on the center is significant. In order to remain sustainable, we have made reductions in staffing and operating costs. And the 2009-10 class of fellows is an acceptable size but smaller than we would like. As a result we are, for the first time, reaching beyond grants and endowment gifts from foundations to engage a broader community. Until our endowment recovers, it is imperative that we be able to rely on the generosity of former fellows and friends of the Center to help see us through.

Why is my gift important?
Your gift is essential to helping the Center envision a more secure future and, more importantly, helping us empower great scholars to shape history.

Will my small gift make a difference?
Yes! Regardless of size, your gift matters tremendously. Your gift is an investment in excellence and a vote of confidence. Collectively, gifts from friends and former fellows have a larger impact on the aggregate and send a strong signal. The scholarly community, potential major donors and funders take note that our friends and community of former fellows stand behind our institution as donors.

Why should I give to the center when there are other organizations that need my support?
If you are a former fellow, we encourage you to participate each year with an annual gift while also balancing your personal philanthropic priorities. As you are considering the many organizations to support, reflect on your experience as a fellow and what it meant to you. If your fellowship year influenced how you approach your work, and positively impacted your career, the Center believes that a gift is one of the most important ways to demonstrate your confidence in our institution, by supporting future generations of fellows.

If you are a friend of the center, and share our commitment to addressing modern challenges, we warmly welcome you to join our effort as a donor.  Whether you have a passion for a particular field in the behavioral sciences, nurturing promising young scholars or investing in exceptional scholarship as a whole, as a philanthropist you will have an important impact as an investor in our institution and a partner in our work.

Why is my gift needed by August 31st?
The Center’s annual fundraising campaign takes place on a fiscal year cycle beginning September 1 and concluding on August 31 of the following year. Your yearly gifts are instrumental to the Center and provide a flexible source of current-use dollars that, along with endowment income, are immediately put to work to support our fellows.