I am a UK taxpayer, do I have any tax advantages?

UK taxpayers are able to give to Wharton through the University of Pennsylvania (USA) Foundation Ltd., a registered charity in the UK.

Contact:
Eileen Flood, Administrator
University of Pennsylvania (USA Foundation) Ltd.
19 Norcott Road
London N16 7EJ
United Kingdom
Tel: 020.7502.2813
Fax: 020.7449.1355
eileen_flood@blueyonder.co.uk

Back to Top

How is my unrestricted gift to the Wharton Fund spent?

Each year the School incurs the general operating costs of supporting the Wharton community, which includes over 250 faculty and 4,600 full-time students, more than 8,000 Executive Education participants, 24 research centers and initiatives, and 81,000+ alumni worldwide.  Maintaining the excellence of Wharton’s academic programs, its physical plant and outreach programs requires a steady and reliable flow of income on an annual basis.  Examples of operating expenditures covered by unrestricted funds include:

  • Student Financial Aid – Many students require and receive some form of financial aid via grants, loans, scholarships and fellowships.  Unrestricted gifts enable Wharton to compete with our academic peers by making aid available to attract the best and brightest students from around the world.
  • Faculty Recruitment and Retention – To sustain and expand its faculty, Wharton must continue to recruit and retain world-class talent in a hyper-competitive market.  Wharton Fund dollars provide the administration with the resources to develop current and future generations of internationally revered business thought leaders.
  • Curriculum Development – Wharton educates its students by developing in-depth knowledge and skills in specific fields, cross-functional integration, applied problem solving and leadership, with a global perspective underlying all. Ongoing curricular innovations and faculty research, funded by unrestricted monies, keep both students and faculty at the cutting edge of business education.
  • Global Alumni Outreach – The Wharton global alumni network, which covers over 140 countries, is one of the largest and most significant alumni communities in the world. The Wharton Fund generates resources to support over 80 alumni clubs globally, MBA reunions in Philadelphia and San Francisco, regional alumni events and other alumni services.

Back to Top

What is the difference between unrestricted and restricted giving? 

An unrestricted gift is a donation of any size made without restrictions on its use, most often to an annual fund or a discretionary fund.  A restricted gift, also known as a capital gift and usually of a significant size, is made for a specific purpose such as a building, an endowed faculty position or a scholarship, and cannot be reallocated for use elsewhere. 

Back to Top

Why is unrestricted giving important?

While capital gifts are important, unrestricted funds that can be deployed when and where they are needed most are vital.  The Wharton Fund allows the administration to respond to immediate needs and opportunities that may arise, as well as continually building the school’s financial foundation. It provides the broadest possible base for alumni and friends of the school to participate in supporting Wharton.  High levels of participation in unrestricted giving are a key indicator of the strength of an institution, and in order to maintain its position as a world leader in business education Wharton must continue to increase both the number of donors and the number of dollars raised for unrestricted support.

Back to Top

Have I benefited from the Wharton Fund?

The cost of a student’s Wharton education exceeds tuition; revenue from tuition and the endowment alone cannot sustain the quality of the program offered.  The generosity of alumni makes it possible for each successive generation of students to attend Wharton and to experience the level of educational excellence for which the school is known. The Wharton Fund fuels innovations in academic programs and research, supports student and alumni services, and perpetuates generation after generation of global business leaders.

Back to Top

How does my contribution to the Wharton Fund directly impact me?

A gift to the Wharton Fund benefits everyone in the Wharton community, including current students and alumni, by ensuring that the highest levels of academic excellence are maintained and preserving the inherent value of a Wharton degree.  Your donation supports reunions and other alumni events around the world, alumni technology services such as WAVE, resources such as Wharton School Publishing and Knowledge@Wharton, and career services for alumni.

Back to Top

Why did I receive a request for support from another University of Pennsylvania school or center as well as a request from the Wharton Fund?

Gifts to the Wharton Fund are directed to the Wharton School’s annual operating budget, which covers faculty salaries, academic research centers, undergraduate and graduate student financial aid, student programs and services, and Wharton’s campus facilities.  If you hold multiple academic degrees or are affiliated with other schools or centers at the University, you may be directly solicited for their respective annual funds or other programs and initiatives.  Each school and center funds its own operating budget.

Back to Top

Does my gift to Wharton subsidize the University?

Your entire gift to the Wharton Fund will benefit Wharton directly. Wharton Fund dollars subsidize the current operating expenses of the School.

Back to Top