Your student has embarked upon a special time of academic rigor and exploration at one of the world’s best universities. We invite your family to take part in this journey.

Support Cornell

With a leadership gift each year, you join the Cornell Family Fellows–investing further in Cornell, supporting the academic success of all of our students, and gaining a special perspective about our campus, our faculty and staff, and other parents.

Through the Cornell Family Fellows, a gift that changes the lives of others can be life-changing for you, too.

Each spring, Cornell Family Fellows are invited to Ithaca for a special program. Members of the Cornell Family Fellows are also invited to regional events and to webinars hosted by campus leaders.

Our Cornell community is enriched by student activities, intercollegiate and intramural athletics, religious organizations, creative work, living and learning communities, and more. Participating in our active campus community helps students thrive, find new passions, and develop leadership skills. Family philanthropy helps to keep and grow the vitality of our campus environment and student life.
—Ryan T. Lombardi, EdD, Vice President for Student & Campus Life

Cornell families

Perhaps you are already a proud alumni family. Or maybe your child is the first to become a Cornellian. Either way, having a Cornell student in your family brings new insights and interest in Cornell.

Each spring, Cornell Family Fellows enjoy a weekend on campus that offers personal interaction with university leadership, seminars of substance from top faculty in diverse fields, and activities with their children. The special weekend includes:

  • Meetings with college deans and other senior leaders
  • Seminars with top Cornell professors
  • Experiential online activities
  • Opportunities to get to know other families with a breadth of philanthropic interests and a love for Cornell
  • A forum for discussing the impact of family philanthropy
  • Programs that allow a deeper connection to Cornell

Power of philanthropy

A gift to Cornell helps ensure that students have robust resources and programming. It also allows the university to be flexible as needs shift. Significant gifts invest in the university’s top priorities, which include:

  • Hiring faculty, thoughtfully, in advance of a wave of expected retirement
  • Investing in evolving academic fields such as sustainability, economics, and technology
  • Providing resources for students
  • Developing world-class facilities

Contact

Cora C. Burns
Director, Parent Engagement & Philanthropy
607-254-7228
familyfellows@cornell.edu