Giving Opportunities 2021

All of us thrive when we feel like we belong. UC Berkeley is a great university--and it can sometimes feel overwhelming, intimidating, and impersonal. That's why Berkeley Connect mentors focus on boosting students' sense of belonging, so the students can make the most of their time at Berkeley.  With help from friends like you, Berkeley Connect has successfully empowered thousands of students over the last decade--and we want to reach even more. Can you make a gift to Berkeley Connect, and help the amazing students at UC Berkeley realize their full potential?

"Having a mentor to guide me through the semester and offer advice really improved my outlook on my future here at Berkeley."--Berkeley Connect student

Your support of Berkeley Connect allows undergraduates to be matched with graduate students who serve as their personal mentors--and also with small groups of peers who form a welcoming, intimate community. At the end of each semester, over 90% of participants report that through Berkeley Connect they:

• meet other students who share their interests
• learn about opportunities and resources available to them
• increase their sense of belonging at UC Berkeley
• increase their confidence they can succeed at UC Berkeley

“Berkeley Connect is….a community where I can talk about my thoughts, concerns, fears, and more. This is a place where I feel like I don’t have to be silent."--Berkeley Connect student 

Berkeley Connect is open to all students, regardless of major or year. The Berkeley Connect message "you belong here" is particularly impactful for students who have historically felt less welcome at UC Berkeley. Up to 50% of Berkeley Connect participants are transfer students, and approximately 28% are African American, Latinx, and Native American students. Our research has shown that students in these groups often enter Berkeley Connect with a lower sense of belonging, and experience the largest increase in confidence over the course of the semester. When you make a gift to Berkeley Connect, you are amplifying the message to students: You belong here!

"Berkeley Connect was the most heartening and supportive experience that I have had. It makes the university more accessible to undergraduates, and gives graduate students essential skills in community building."---Berkeley Connect mentor

Gifts to Berkeley Connect pay for fellowships to the outstanding graduate student mentors who are the beating heart of the program. The innovative Berkeley Connect mentoring model allows each Berkeley Connect Fellow to mentor 80 students a year. The cost of each undergraduate's participation in Berkeley Connect is approximately $600 a semester. Every $600 we raise pays the cost of one student's Berkeley Connect experience. Can you help?

Can you help us make UC Berkeley a more welcoming and inclusive place, where every student has the confidence they need to achieve their full potential? Berkeley Connect is a donor-funded program: every dollar we receive goes towards connecting students with mentors. Thank you for giving today!

Questions? We'd love to hear from you! You can reach us at berkeleyconnect@berkeley.edu or (510)664-4182.