Solo SAIC student painting, over a table in studio space
Support SAIC

Why Give

Why Give

Gifts from alums, faculty, staff, and friends play an essential role in our ability to foster a world-class teaching and learning environment that encourages the pursuit of bold ideas. Without your philanthropy and partnership, SAIC would be unable to offer our students scholarships, internships, pre-college programming, and so much more.

When you give to scholarships, wellness, and career preparedness at SAIC, you join us in removing barriers to access, meet students’ needs, and limit the burden of debt for our graduates.

  • $2.4M contributed to scholarships in 2021–22
  • 55% of undergraduate and graduate students use Wellness Center resources
  • $72K raised to support paid internships


 

Your Impact

    First-Generation Support

    “After I received my scholarship, it confirmed to me that I belong here, that I wasn’t just a random selection.” – Leana Yonan (BFA 2020), first-generation student

    Leana Yonan Headshot

    Need-based Scholarships

    “The reality is that education can change a person’s direction in life. The more scholarships we can get, the more people whose lives will be totally transformed.” – Rose Milkowski, vice president of enrollment management

    Interior shot of a print studio with students.

    Contributing to Culture

    “An arts community makes for a more thriving metropolis. Period. It contributes to the economy. It contributes to the community’s mental health. It contributes to the culture’s vitality. We want [to do] anything and everything we can to support that community.” -Denise Gardner, Chair of the Board of Trustees

    A portrait of Denise Gardner standing in front of Nighthawks by Edward Hopper at the Art Institute of Chicago

    Belief in the Future

    “The phone call was a validation for me. A moment where someone believed that I had enough potential to be successful that they would put money into me.” -Maryiah Winding (BFA 2019), reflecting on the moment when she learned she had been offered a full-tuition scholarship to SAIC.

    Maryiah Winding sitting in front of Chicago flag

    “SAIC students are exceptional. For all the teaching I do, I feel like I learn just as much from our students.” 
    – Associate Professor Oli Watt supports scholarships

    “SAIC has gone above and beyond to help my daughter graduate. I appreciate all the support she received.”
    – Lisa Foy, parent of 2022 graduate, supports the Fund for SAIC

    “SAIC, more than any other school I’ve had experience with, understands and respects mental and emotional wellness. I’m donating to support student wellness.”
    – Francesca Gagliano (MFA 2011) supports the Wellness Fund

    “We believe that the arts are able to make this world a more human place and can be the catalyst for needed changes. We want to help, through scholarships to make art education for everyone who wants to pursue it—not just for those with means to do so!” 
    – Jeanne and Robert Petrick, friends of SAIC, support scholarships

    Give Now

    Your support gives students access to the resources they need to grow as artists, designers, and scholars. Learn more about ways to give.

    Questions? Contact SAIC’s Office of Advancement at givetosaic@saic.edu or 312.499.4190.