Participate in the Future of DCU

If the Annual Fund is well supported, we are able to provide more and better scholarships, and provide support to projects throughout the University. It allows Alumni the opportunity to become involved in the future of DCU.

Will my contribution make a difference?

Yes, it will! For example, if every one of our 30,000 plus Alumni donated just €25, the Annual Fund would support over 350 Access Scholarship s for students each year. What your gift can do?

All gifts regardless of size are important to the future of DCU. Securing donations for the DCU Access Programme is of the highest priority, and currently the majority of donations to the DCU Annual Fund support this worthwhile programme. For example, in 2006 Alumni support alone funded 25 Access Scholarships students in their chose course of study.

In addition to supporting the Access Programme at DCU, Alumni donations to the Annual Fund have enabled DCU to:

• help students to develop personal and professional skills through our Student Mentoring Programme
• support Fizzfest an international arts festival for young children
• provide support for the 2007 Collingwood Cup, the largest soccer intervarsity competition in Ireland
• support some of our world class researchers in their work. For example, Lorraine O'Driscoll, who is currently working on a ground breaking treatment for diabetes patients, and Donal O'Gorman, who is undertaking work in type 1 juvenile diabetes
• provide funding for the Science Bus, a mobile science laboratory for children and
• support an On-Line Journal: the Irish Journal for Ethnic and Migration Studies

How do I contribute?

To make a donation online by credit card, cheque or standing order, please visit http://www.DCU.ie/trust/gift.shtml Or, take a moment to talk with one of our student callers at our by-annual Telethons. Students themselves also support the Annual Fund and here is what two of our callers had to say about their experience last year.

“There's nothing more satisfying than to know at the end the day when you're coming home tired, that you made a difference to the world around you. That's exactly how we felt each day” Tony, Student caller 2006 “It was a great experience and gave me an idea of the opportunities available to me as a graduate” Ameera, Student caller 2006

Helen Shaw, graduate 1983 Post Graduate in Journalism. Member of the Alumni Council. Currently MD and founder of Athena Media, Dublin Ireland.
'I wanted to support the Educational Trust and in particular the ACCESS programme and Alumni educational scholarships and fellowship on the basis that most of us who have graduated are keen to give something back and to support students to obtain a quality education. As someone who grew up in Whitehall near DCU I have also been keen to see more and more local students from Ballymun, Whitehall and Finglas get the chance to study at DCU and have supported any efforts to extend the reach of the university to more economically disadvantaged young people. I've decided to make a small donation every year as a gesture of my support and would encourage every graduate to donate at least the price of one good night out every year to the Trust to support the extension of DCU's opportunities to more and more young people every year. Small cheques can make a difference particularly if enough of us write them once a year'.

For more information on the Annual Fund, please contact Claire Whelehan at the DCU Educational Trust