Resources for Community Partners

Requesting a Charitable Contribution

The University is committed to expanding and cultivating the mutually beneficial partnerships with our local, regional and global community. This commitment is demonstrated through volunteerism on the part of administrators, faculty, staff, and students and through the financial support and assistance provided to community and service organizations.  In order to ensure the University’s request for contributions process is equitable and consistent, the following criteria will be used to consider requests for financial assistance.

The requesting organization should be a registered 501(c)(3) and its mission and/or activities must be consistent with the University's mission and the teachings of the Catholic Church. To avoid confusion, the requesting organization will be sent a letter with their donation agreeing to adhere to this criterion. To assist in understanding the approach that we follow, as directed by the Church teaching, please refer to the document, Principles for Institutional Charitable Activity or the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines.

An organization requesting a contribution must be able to demonstrate measurable and positive community impact.  Significant consideration will be given to projects or initiatives that involve collaboration among multiple organizations, and increasing priority will be placed on programs or projects that benefit the South Bend Elkhart region. 

The University values mutually beneficial relationships between our campus and our partners. Therefore, the organization should have visible support from the University's student body, staff, and/or faculty through volunteerism, class projects, board participation, etc.

The University of Notre Dame, as a not-for-profit institution organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, is prohibited from making political donations or otherwise supporting or opposing a political candidate, political party, or ballot initiative. 

Additionally, the University does not contribute funding to capital projects.

Organizations should submit their requests for contributions to Kelly Demski via email or letter. If you have further questions, please contact:

Kelly Demski
405 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
574-631-1099
kdemski@nd.edu