Giving | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Giving to the Ford School

Inspiring the next generation of leaders
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A bold vision. A lasting impact.

The Ford School is a top-ranked policy school at the world-class University of Michigan. Our mission is to inspire and prepare our graduates to take on our communities’ and the world’s most pressing challenges.

"A decade of impact, driven by you" followed by a maize heart. "Giving Blueday 3/13/2024 Give to shape the next 10 years"

Giving Blueday

Record-setting day of giving

On March 13, the Ford School community once again raised the bar for single-day donations and gathered over $47,000 in student support, as part of U-M’s annual Giving Blueday celebration.
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The field of public policy involves difficult work that includes strong scientific inquiry and analysis, as well as leadership skills to navigate politics, advocacy and coalition building, communication across differences, and the ability to envision and make change. We have long been known and respected as the leading public policy school for rigorous, objective data and policy analysis, and effective communication.

Gifts provide scholarships that bring talented and diverse students to campus, support internship and applied learning experiences that shape career trajectories, and develop critical leadership skills to have a positive impact on individuals, organizations, and communities. They also underwrite game-changing faculty research that transform how we address society's most intractable challenges and arm policy communities around the world with first-rate academic insights and discoveries.

Read more about where you can give. 

Kaltura Video
Lynn Vendinello (MPP '89): Students can follow in your footsteps.
Impact

Research & action

Members of the Ford School community make data-driven discoveries to catalyze public policy change.
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Impact

Our alumni

Ford School graduates go on to create a positive impact on people and communities across the globe.
Read about them here

Meet the problem-solvers, leaders, and advocates who benefit from your gifts.

2023 Eckstein prize

“He [Alvin] pulls off the nifty trick of applying rigorous interdisciplinary analysis to draw conclusions that he writes about in clear, persuasive prose. Moreover, Alvin’s work feels both novel and important.” Ford School writing instructor Alex Ralph, who chaired the selection committee.
2023 Eckstein prize winner

Margaret E. Weston Endowment for Education Policy Intern

"I am gaining the analytical tools and policy foundations necessary for work in higher education policy research, analysis, and advocacy." Dana Fenster (MPP/MA '20)
Read more about the Weston Fund

Riecker Michigan Delegation Fellowship

"I cannot express enough how much this experience has changed me, the value it has added to my list of experiences, and the meaningful connections it has allowed me to build. Every part of this experience challenged me to utilize and hone my skills I learned from the Ford School, and I gained significant insight on the Congressional process." Iqra Nasir (MPP/MS '21)
Read more about the Riecker Fellowship

Meet our donors

Weill Youth Empowerment

“[Joan and Sanford Weill's] gift will advance U-M and our society by creating opportunities for Detroit high school students and supporting graduate students in the Ford School who seek to study diversity and make a difference in public policy.”

U-M President Mark Schlissel on the Joan and Sanford Weill Youth Empowerment Fund, which will improve education and employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth from the Detroit area.
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Weiser Diplomacy Center

"Having young people from the University of Michigan and the Ford School—students who are interested in public service—go out and start to establish those relationships in whatever countries they go to is really important for the future of our nation."

Ambassador Ronald Weiser on the importance of international policy education. The Weiser Diplomacy Center is preparing the next generation of foreign affairs leaders.
Read more about WDC
Rebecca A. Copeland Scholarship

“It is our intention that the fund at the Ford School support students who share Rebecca’s dreams of improving health and health care for everyone through bold policy change and health system reform.”

David and Elizabeth Copeland, Rebecca's parents, in a joint statement on the fellowship established by the Copeland family in fall 2021 in memory of Rebecca Copeland (MPP/MPH ’21).
2022 Rebecca A. Copeland Fellows
Vandenberg Lecture Series

"Hank has written a beautiful biography of Vandenberg, focused on the role of bipartisan compromise essential to the creation of the post-war international order."

Dean Michael S. Barr on Hank Meijer's book about U.S. Senator Arthur Vandenberg. The Meijer Family established the Vandenberg Lecture Series, which focuses on global issues and serves as an intellectual tribute. Their generous gifts also contributed to the Gerald R. Ford Fellowship and the Ford School Leadership Initiative.
Watch Hank Meijer speak about his book "Arthur Vandenberg: The Man in the Middle of the American Century"

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