Below you will find answers to many common questions about UC Davis Give Day 2025.
What is UC Davis Give Day?
UC Davis Give Day is an annual 29-hour online and in-person fundraising drive to support initiatives at UC Davis Health, our veterinary hospital and clinics, and the UC Davis campus. Each year it coincides with our Picnic Day celebration, which is the largest student-run event in the nation! This year our ninth Give Day will be held from April 11 at noon to April 12 at 5 p.m.
As always, the goal of Give Day is to bring our community together by sharing, following or financially supporting programs that have made an impact on the lives of our alumni, students UC Davis Health patients and veterinary clients.
No matter what programs you support, we hope participating in our online event reminds you that you are an important member of our community, and that through our combined effort, we are formidable.
If I give early, will my gift be counted on Give Day?
YES! It will! And we encourage our supporters to give when it is convenient for them.
Why should I give to UC Davis or UC Davis Health?
For more than a decade we have earned top national rankings and widespread acclaim for excellence at UC Davis and UC Davis Health. We are proud to be a credit to our wonderful community and those who support us. Our recent rankings are:
- No. 1 in the nation in forestry and agriculture,
- No. 2 in top public university performers on social mobility,
- No. 3 public university in the nation for graduate financial success, and
- No. 9 top public university in the nation.
-No. 1 medical center in Sacramento for over a decade
Our nationally-renowned UC Davis Medical Center is a leading referral center for the most seriously injured or ill patients, and the most medically complex cases. It is nationally-ranked in multiple adult and five pediatric specialty areas; features the only Level I trauma center in inland Northern California; and a Level IV NICU.
-No. 1 in the nation in veterinary medicine
Our School of Veterinary Medicine’s hospital treats more than 50,000 patients each year, and provides crucial research to benefit animal, human and planetary health. We also educate more than 700 students pursuing the doctor of veterinary medicine and other professional and graduate degrees.
Your generosity provides UC Davis Health, our veterinary hospitals, and our students and faculty the support they need to pursue the ambitious research goals that have long defined UC Davis and continue to drive us today.
What are challenge gifts?
Challenge gifts are donor-provided incentives that encourage new donors to participate in Give Day. Challenge gifts usually request a specific number of donors to give to the challenge to activate it.
Roughly 70 percent of the donors who give during Give Day, give to challenge gifts.
What are matching gifts?
Matching gifts are another kind of incentive that encourages new donors to participate in Give Day. Matching gifts focus on matching dollar amounts.
Matching gifts are brand new to Give Day and can only be made during the 29-hour online event between April 11 at noon and April 12 at 5:00 pm.
What are advocates?
Advocates are influencers. They support Give Day by sharing information through their social media channels.
If you'd like to become an advocate, just sign up through our site to send videos or post unique links to our site. Note that you do NOT have to give a matching gift to become an advocate.
Go to https://giphy.com/ucdavis to add UC Davis GIFs to your site.
How can I help spread the word about Give Day?
You can spread the word on all of your social media accounts by becoming an advocate and tagging your posts with #ucdavisgiveday, #everyaggiecounts and #ucdhstrong. Those hashtags will pull your posts onto our main page during Give Day.
Please also talk about Give Day to your friends, colleagues and anyone you think may be interested in supporting the important work we do.
I tried to give and received an error message. What do I do now?
If you get this message, your order was declined by our payment processing system. This error is often a result of mistyping your billing address, or using your work address instead of the address affiliated with your card (which is likely your home address). Please try to give a gift again. If you continue to experience issues, please email giveday@ucdavis.edu and we will assist you.
Sending your credit card information through an email is not a secure practice, so please don't do that. We will connect with you and help your gift get processed appropriately and securely.
We know it can be frustrating when something like this happens, so we ask your patience in advance.
What if the fund or program I want to donate to is not listed?
The site will require you to select something in the fund drop-down menu, so we suggest choosing the UC Davis Annual Fund. There will be a place (called “Special Instructions/Comments?”) to write in the fund designation you would like to support.
If we review the information you provide and have questions about where you want your gift to go, we will contact you to make sure your gift is allocated correctly, and in accordance with your wishes.
Is my gift tax deductible?
The UC Davis Foundation and The Regents of the University of California - the two gift-receiving arms for UC Davis - are both qualified charities that provide donors with tax benefits to the full extent of the law. Your gift qualifies for a tax-deduction in accordance with IRS regulations, during the calendar year that you make your gift.
After making a gift you will receive an email with information that can serve as a receipt for your files. Please consult your tax professional for more information.
Where will my gift to UC Davis go?
It’s up to you! Designate your gift to any area of the university that is important to you.
You can select from a wide range of colleges, schools, health programs and veterinary centers to support. And when you make that choice... that is where your gift will go.
Can I give to more than one area?
Yes, you can make multiple gifts to multiple funds when you check out, and your card will only be charged once for the sum of your donations.
Is there a minimum donation amount?
Yes. There is a $5 minimum.
How will I receive my tax receipt?
You will get an email confirmation of your credit card transaction right after you make a gift.
When will my card be charged?
Your credit or debit card is charged immediately upon finalizing your gift.
Are there fees associated with giving to UC Davis?
UC Davis retains a 6 percent fee on each gift to current use funds; this fee helps to defray the administrative costs incurred in managing UC Davis’ fundraising operations.
Can a donor support Give Day through a donor advised fund (DAF) or stock transfer?
Yes, please email giveday@ucdavis.edu your request to support Give Day through either a DAF or stock transfer and someone from the development staff will follow up with you to help with your giving.
Who should I contact if I have a question about my gift?
For general questions about your gift, please email giveday@ucdavis.edu. Thank you.