Development Office

Development Staff

Vice President of Development & Alumni Relations
Luke Fleer
lfleer@rochesteru.edu| O: 248.218.2430

Development Coordinator
Cathy Ries
cries@rochesteru.edu | O: 248.218.2021

Development & Alumni Relations Officer
Taylor Isenberg
tisenberg1@rochesteru.edu| O: 248.218.2170

Financial Advice

RU offers financial advice for planned giving here.

Giving Opportunities

You can partner with Rochester University to provide support in a variety of ways. Each method helps the university achieve its mission of educating servant leaders of principled character.

Annual Fund

Rochester University is growing and developing new programs every academic year. In addition to raising funds for such initiatives, the university must raise supplemental funding for annual operational costs. The annual fund provides scholarships, library resources, technology, faculty and staff salaries, academic programs, and alumni activities. Unrestricted gifts to the annual fund allow the university to apply funds where needed the most.

Memorial Gifts or Honor Gifts

Many friends and alumni remember loved ones through memorial and honor gifts. Such gifts can be designated for a specific purpose or can be donated to meet the general operational needs of the university. The family of the deceased or the individual honored is notified of the memorial or honor gift. Donors and those honored are also acknowledged in the North Star.

Partnership Dinner

Partnership Dinner is an annual event that generates funding for student scholarships. The dinner is held in the spring at the Royal Park Hotel in downtown Rochester. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased online or by contacting Cathy Ries at cries@rochesteru.edu. Partnership Dinner sponsorships range from $500 to $10,000. All sponsors are recognized in a printed program. Sponsorships at the $1,000 level or higher include a photo opportunity with the featured speaker.

Endowment and Planned Giving

Endowment support is crucial for the long-term financial stability of any academic institution. Friends can partner with Rochester University through a number of estate planning methods including wills and bequests, charitable gift annuities, gifts of retirement assets, and charitable trusts. When you include the university in your will or estate, you become a member of the Heritage Club. Contact Tom Rellinger at trellinger@rochesteru.edu for more information about estate planning opportunities.

Endowed Scholarships

Named endowed scholarship opportunities begin at $10,000. These scholarships normally are named for the giver, but can also be named in honor of another individual. Scholarships can be designated to assist needy students, students with a particular major, or students who have excelled in academic, music, or athletic arenas. Founders of endowed scholarship programs are invited to an annual scholarship dinner to meet scholarship recipients. Contact Tom Rellinger at trellinger@rochesteru.edu for more information about establishing an endowed scholarship.

Program Development

You can help Rochester University develop new programs through designated giving. Such initiatives as the Nursing and the Early College Programs are examples of such opportunities.

Giving Assistant

Shop online at Home Depot, Sears, Aliexpress and more to automatically donate 3-30% of your purchase price to Rochester University.

AmazonSmile

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Rochester Universitywhenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support Rochester University by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com. 

Donor Gift Clubs

Rochester University strives to ensure that the charitable giving goals and interests of donors are met and that appropriate recognition is given for their support. Those giving $1,000 or more per year are invited to an annual appreciation dinner. The following gift clubs honor donors.