What Umass Amherst Foundation does

UMass Amherst Foundation (UMAF) is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 54-2084125) that operates as the primary fundraising and gift-administration entity for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Founded in 1940, the foundation channels philanthropic support from alumni, individuals, corporations, and private foundations into the university's educational, research, and outreach missions. Its core offering is the Ways to Give platform, which encompasses cash and online donations, gifts of publicly traded securities, endowment gifts, planned giving vehicles (bequests, charitable gift annuities, IRA and life insurance beneficiary designations), corporate matching gifts, foundation grants, and payroll deduction for UMass faculty and staff. The foundation also operates the MinuteFund campus crowdfunding platform and the annual UMassGives 48-hour online giving campaign, which in 2023 mobilized more than 9,000 donors to support over 350 departments, student groups, centers, and programs.

The foundation's technology footprint is administrative rather than product-centric: a Squarespace-hosted public website, online donation forms, payment processing, CRM/stewardship workflows, and integration with Double the Donation for corporate matching-gift verification. There is no proprietary software, AI capability, or API surface. Specialty initiatives extend the foundation's reach beyond traditional giving, including the Manning Innovation Program for early-stage translational research funding and the Angel Ticket Program providing community access to the Fine Arts Center. Multiple recognition tiers (Flagship First, Mass Momentum, 1863 Loyalty, Chancellor's, William Smith Clark societies) structure donor engagement.

UMAF's revenue model is philanthropic: it collects charitable contributions and assesses a 3% administrative fee per gift. Annual giving commitments have ranged from $69.3 million (FY2024) to $127.6 million (FY2022), with FY2025 at $110.1 million. The Accelerate comprehensive campaign has cumulatively surpassed $600 million. Distribution channels for raised funds include student scholarships (over $5 million from endowments in FY2025), endowed professorships, faculty positions, research programs, and campus infrastructure. Donor segments span alumni, corporate partners and private foundations, payroll-deducting employees, and planned-giving estate beneficiaries, with no single segment dominating the mix.

Name

Umass Amherst Foundation

Legal name

UMass Amherst Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://uma-foundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UMass Amherst Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising entity that channels philanthropic contributions from alumni, corporations, and foundations into University of Massachusetts Amherst scholarships, research, faculty positions, and campus programs through multiple giving vehicles and recognition societies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Fundraising and Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC), Endowments (Universities, Foundations, Nonprofits) (FSAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Higher education fundraising
• Charitable giving programs
• Planned giving services
• Donor stewardship
• Alumni philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Amherst Junction

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The foundation receives cash gifts, online donations, and check contributions from individual donors, alumni, and friends of the university. A 3% administrative fee is assessed on charitable gifts.
2. Stock Gifts: Gifts of publicly traded securities allow donors to avoid capital gains taxes while providing a charitable deduction. Donors transfer stock directly to the foundation.
3. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Includes bequests from wills and living trusts, beneficiary-controlled distributions from IRAs and 401(k)s, beneficiary designations on life insurance policies, and Charitable Gift Annuities that provide lifetime income streams and immediate tax deductions.
4. Endowment Gifts: Endowed gifts ensure perpetual support for specific programs, scholarships, professorships, and chairs. Donors can create new endowments or contribute to existing ones.
5. Corporate Matching Gifts: The foundation facilitates corporate matching gift programs where employers match employee donations, effectively doubling or tripling the impact of gifts.
6. Foundation Grants: Corporate and private foundation giving to support research, buildings, infrastructure, student scholarships, and faculty positions.
7. Payroll Deduction: UMass faculty and staff can have gifts automatically deducted from their university paycheck through payroll deduction.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The UMass Amherst Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that solicits, receives, manages, and stewards private philanthropic gifts to support the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It offers multiple giving vehicles (annual fund, planned/estate gifts, securities, payroll deduction, corporate matching, endowed funds, and crowdfunding) and provides donor recognition, scholarship administration, and stewardship reporting for individuals, alumni, corporations, and foundations.

Product overview

Umass Amherst Foundation (UMAF) operates as a comprehensive philanthropy platform for UMass Amherst, offering a unified ecosystem of giving programs. The core offering centers on Ways to Give, which encompasses multiple giving vehicles (cash, stocks, endowments, planned giving). Supporting programs include Giving Societies for donor recognition, MinuteFund crowdfunding for campus groups, and the annual UMassGives campaign. Specialty initiatives like the Manning Innovation Program and Angel Ticket Program extend the foundation's reach into research funding and community arts access. The platform integrates Double the Donation for corporate matching gift verification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Accelerate Campaign: The comprehensive fundraising campaign for UMass Amherst focused on scholarships, research, and academic excellence
• MinuteFund
• Flagship First Society
• Mass Momentum Society
• 1863 Loyalty Society
• Chancellor's Society
• William Smith Clark Society

Products and services

• UMassGives (Annual Day of Giving) Annual 24-hour giving event where alumni, students, parents, and friends donate to specific UMass Amherst schools, colleges, programs, or units in a coordinated push.
• MinuteFund Crowdfunding Platform

Named customers8 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ohio State University Foundation: Direct peer: dedicated fundraising entity for a large flagship public research university, with multiple giving societies, endowment management, and large annual campaign totals comparable in scale.
• Purdue Research Foundation: Direct peer: foundation supporting a large public research university with comprehensive gift administration, endowment management, and development programs serving a similar donor base.
• Penn State University Development and Alumni Relations: Direct peer: comprehensive fundraising operation for a large public research university, including annual giving, planned giving, corporate matching, and major-gift programs similar to UMAF's structure.
• UCLA Foundation: Direct peer: 501(c)(3) fundraising foundation for a major public research university with comparable giving societies, planned giving programs, and large-scale capital campaigns.
• Michigan State University Development: Direct peer: fundraising foundation for a public research university with comparable giving society structure, scholarship endowments, and capital campaign operations.
• University of Michigan Office of University Development: Direct peer: fundraising and gift administration foundation for a large public research university, operating a comprehensive giving platform including planned giving, corporate matching, and major-gift campaigns.

Others

• UMass Amherst (the university itself): The university that the foundation supports and the primary beneficiary of its fundraising efforts; relevant context but not a comparable peer as an operating educational institution versus a fundraising foundation.
• UMass President's Office / UMass System: System-level oversight for the five-campus UMass system; provides context for cross-campus fundraising coordination but not a direct peer in foundation operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/umass-amherst-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Umass Amherst Foundation