Impact of giving

From bursaries, scholarships, and new academic posts to new initiatives, buildings and facilities, philanthropy ensures that we continue to lead and inspire the world in our teaching and research, nurturing exceptional minds and driving the discoveries of the future.

Impact of giving

From bursaries, scholarships, and new academic posts to new initiatives, buildings and facilities, philanthropy ensures that we continue to lead and inspire the world in our teaching and research, nurturing exceptional minds and driving the discoveries of the future.

Philanthropic impact stories

Find out how Cambridge is working to solve the challenges we face in today's world. None of the examples described here would be possible without Cambridge’s philanthropic supporters. Their philanthropy sets the brilliant minds working at Cambridge free to pursue new ideas and change the world.

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Going to the dogs?

In a dog-loving nation, a passionate community in a funding crisis is acting fast to secure canine welfare and genetic integrity. Find out how the dog-loving community is stepping up to save the Canine Genetics Centre.
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Fragile Past, Digital Future

How two heritage projects are safeguarding present — and future — archaeological sites thanks to generous funding by Arcadia.
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Planetary Computing Fellows Michael Dales and Sadiq Jaffer: Putting systems to work to accelerate ecological interventions

The phrase ‘planetary computing’ conjures all kinds of images, from sending emails while in orbit to using technology to explore the galaxy. But in reality, this discipline is far more grounded, practical — and urgent. It harnesses the power of computer science to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
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Harding Scholar Hannah Clayton: Crossing disciplines and continents to pursue groundbreaking cancer research

Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholar weaves together disparate data for a unique insights into ovarian cancer.
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Cambridge Children's Hospital fundraising campaign passes halfway mark, raising more than half of £100m target

The Fundraising Campaign to build a ground-breaking 35,000sqm children’s hospital in Cambridge has passed the halfway mark of its £100m target, reaching over £56m in pledges and gifts secured.
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Gift announcements

Cambridge owes its world-leading excellence in research and teaching to the generosity of its supporters. Our history is synonymous with a history of far-sighted benefaction, and the same is as true today as it has ever been.

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Personal giving, far-reaching impact: the Early Cancer Institute and the ripple effect of philanthropy

Most of us will — at some point in our lives, whether directly or indirectly — feel the tremendous impact of cancer. The disease has a unique poignancy and resonance: in its suddenness or its duration, in the uncertainty and changes it brings, and in the meaning it contains, cancer touches and transforms lives dramatically.
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Trailblazer, cave dweller — and philanthropist: The legacy and impact of Dr Aola Mary Richards

What links the famous Cambridge Corpus Clock to an unexpected legacy from a pioneering entomologist? Answer: New Zealand cave wētā.  
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Cambridge Zero, the Centre for Landscape Regeneration and Quadrature Climate Foundation — expediting solutions to climate change

A new donation of £1 million to the University of Cambridge from Quadrature Climate Foundation (QCF) is boosting work on finding climate change solutions for iconic UK landscapes and supporting research into public attitudes relating to climate change.
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Landmark donation boosts Cambridge’s pioneering early cancer research

The University of Cambridge is delighted to announce a landmark £11 million donation to support the University’s Early Cancer Institute — the UK's only research facility dedicated to understanding early cancer.
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Advancing vaccine technology for global impact

A new global health institute dedicated to advancing vaccine technology is to be established thanks to a new strategic partnership involving the University of Cambridge, along with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), thanks to philanthropic funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). 
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Donor stories

Discover why philanthropy matters and how it makes Cambridge better still. Hear from our donors about their philanthropic motivations and from those who have been supported by such gifts during their time at the University.

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Everyone’s journey is different: The inspirations behind Dr Lewis Owens’s passion for service

To call Dr Lewis Owens (Queens’ 1996) a veteran volunteer is an understatement. Lewis has been weaving together the threads of meaningful service since his Cambridge days.
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‘A Connection to the Real World’: How a passion for problem-solving inspired David Manns’s legacy giving

David Manns (Trinity 1964) believes in the power of philanthropy to address the deepest roots of the problems we face as a species and a society — and he trusts Cambridge to lead the way.
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Mummies, biomedical Egyptology, and preserving eternity: Professor Rosalie David’s vision for her discipline and her legacy

Very few people can boast of having served as director of the International Mummy Database. The remarkable Professor Rosalie David OBE is one of the few.
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Legendary scholarship, ‘tough love’, and cocktails: Joyce Reynolds’s trailblazing life and unique and multifaceted legacy

Formidable, gifted, and just as passionate about her own work as her students’ learning and success, Joyce Reynolds was, and remains, an inspiration. Warm and admiring anecdotes about her abound — and one thing is clear: no one whose life was touched by Joyce will ever forget her. Now, her spirit and commitment will continue to support future generations thanks not only to her own legacy giving, but to the giving she inspired in others.  
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Blending Chemistry, Cooking and Children’s Health: An audience with Bonnie Garmus

In a special event to raise money for the ground-breaking new Cambridge Children's Hospital (CCH), author of global sensation Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus took to the stage to discuss her bestselling debut novel with the hospital’s campaign board co-chair, Dame Mary Archer.
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