Look to Michigan Student Support Matching Program
The Look to Michigan Student Support Matching Program is designed to incentivize gifts from new major donors in support of students across the University of Michigan ecosystem. Beginning August 11, 2025, donors making their first major gift of $50,000 or more will be eligible to receive a 1:2 matching contribution if that gift is designated toward an area that offsets the cost to attend the University of Michigan (i.e. scholarships, graduate fellowships, internships, travel, emergency funding). The pool for this match is $35,000,000.
Specific guidelines for the program include:
- To qualify, a donor must be making their first major gift, which is defined at $50,000
for the purpose of this match. Donors who have made a planned gift at this level,
but no one-time gift or pledge, are eligible. - Qualifying gifts will be matched at a 1:2 ratio - for a new major gift of $100,000,
donors would receive a $50,000 matching commitment to the same fund - Gifts will be matched from $50,000 up to $1,000,000. Gifts over $1,000,000 will be
eligible for a maximum match of $500,000, regardless of gift size. - Gifts may support students at the University of Michigan, University of
Michigan-Dearborn, or University of Michigan-Flint - Gifts can be endowed, expendable, or a combination of both
- Gifts must be one-time gifts or pledges with up to a five year term, and matching
funds will be applied as payments are received - Gifts can be made to any campus, school, college, or unit
- A fully signed gift agreement with matching language is required to reserve matching
funds - Matching funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis until the matching
pool funds are exhausted or until the campaign ends, whichever comes first. - All matching gifts provided by the University will be applied to the donor’s gift
record
as recognition credit
Look to Michigan Recurring Gift Matching Program
The Look to Michigan Recurring Gift Matching Program is designed to bring new donors and lapsed donors into the campaign. All new recurring gifts made between 7/1/25 and 6/30/26 will be matched up to $100/month 1:1 for up to 12 months. Additionally, all new and existing payroll deductions will be matched in the same manner. The matching pool for this program is $5,000,000. After year 1, we will assess the success and viability of the recurring gift match and either renew the match, revise the program to meet current needs, or shift the resources to the student support matching program.
Guideline for recurring gift match:
- Recurring gift match will run from 7/1/25 to 6/30/26
- All new recurring gifts, regardless of whether the donor is new or existing, will
be
matched for up to 12 months - All new and pre-existing payroll deductions, except for pledge payments, will be
matched for up to 12 months - Gifts may be made to any fund at the university, including at UM-Dearborn and
UM-Flint - Gifts made to an endowed fund will be matched to the most similar expendable
fund - All matching gifts provided by the University will be applied to the donor’s gift
record
as recognition credit
Questions?
Contact: sph.alumni@umich.edu