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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How a Selwyn bursary is punching above its weight and delivering multifaceted impact 

When the College Leaders at the United Nations (CLUN) Korea Programme caught Selwyn College's Victoria Hong’s eye early this year, one of its most compelling aspects was the opportunity to meet and study with other Korean students.  
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The Harding Challenge wraps up: A brief history of long-lasting impact through innovation in philanthropy

In 2019, when David and Claudia Harding made their landmark £100m gift to St Catharine’s College and the University of Cambridge, it was the biggest single gift made to a university in the UK by a British philanthropist.
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‘The Thrill of the Will’

Alice Macek, Associate Director of Legacies, reflects on why estate planning is vital — at any stage of life!
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Early music — a love story: the unique Dolmetsch family and an extraordinary legacy to Cambridge

In a leafy Surrey village, an extraordinary musical story has unfolded over the course of more than a century, with its roots in mid-19th century France and a narrative spanning Belgium, London, the USA and Haslemere, Surrey. Its next chapter? At the University Library, Cambridge.
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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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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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Computer technology company Arm donates £3.5 million to fund the computer architecture research leaders of tomorrow

Arm donates £3.5 million to enable 15 PhD students over the next five years, to study at CASCADE — a dedicated new Computer Architecture and Semiconductor Design Centre based within the Department of Computer Science and Technology.
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New long-term collaboration with Suzano begins with a £10 million donation to support conservation and sustainability education and research

Suzano, one the world’s largest producers of bio-based raw materials, based in São Paulo, Brazil, establishes a long-term initiative with Jesus College and the University of Cambridge.
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Professor John Cardy funds new bursaries for Downing students

A generous gift from theoretical physicist and alumnus, Professor John Cardy (Downing 1964), has enabled the creation of two new bursaries for Downing students.
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Centre for Trophoblast Research named in honour of Professor Charlie Y.W. Loke

The Loke Family are longstanding supporters of placental research at the University of Cambridge
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Arcadia awards £10.3 million for the continuation of two major projects mapping endangered archaeological heritage in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa

We are are pleased to announce that the Arcadia charitable foundation has awarded grants totalling £10.3 million to continue the work of the Mapping Africa’s Endangered Archaeological Sites and Monuments (MAEASaM) project and the Mapping Archaeological Heritage in South Asia (MAHSA) project.
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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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