Frequently Asked Questions

The UC San Diego Founders’ Pledge provides company founders, equity holders, and investors an innovative way to join their peers in making a nonbinding commitment to give back to UC San Diego. Members who have signed the Founders’ Pledge control the timing, amount, and designation of their gift. They can even direct their support to any school or program on campus at the time of designation. Taking the pledge is a rewarding way to join a cohort of UC San Diego entrepreneurs who have a vested interest in the future success of UC San Diego.    

A founders’ pledge is a new model of pre-liquidity philanthropy designed for individuals and companies with equity in private, high growth–potential companies. These individuals or their companies pledge to give or otherwise designate, a portion of their illiquid equity to UC San Diego. This gift occurs when the equity can be exchanged on the open market, such as at the time of an IPO or when a start-up company is acquired.

When you commit to UC San Diego as part of the Founders’ Pledge, you join an exclusive community of entrepreneurs and leaders. You'll also be connected with faculty and campus staff who can provide a wide variety of UC San Diego resources.

There is no minimum to your giving and every gift is not only appreciated but empowers the university to offer world-class education to our students.

When you’re ready to sign the pledge, contact us at founderspledge@ucsd.edu to reach one of our program directors directly. We can connect you to a gift-planning expert who will help your financial and tax advisers determine whether a gift of cash vs. stock is best for you. We’ll also help you explore opportunities to designate your gift to entrepreneurial or study abroad programs, a school, a research area or student scholarships.

A gift can be designated to any school or program. It can also be used to establish an entirely new program. When you take your pledge, you can share your passions while exploring your philanthropic goals over time.

There are no tax ramifications associated with taking the pledge. Instead, taxes are considered at the time of your gift to UC San Diego. We do recommend that you consult with your own financial advisers to fully understand the tax implications, or we can connect you with one of our in-house giving experts to provide additional information.

Upon taking the Founders’ Pledge, you immediately become a member of the Founders’ Society, an exclusive community of UC San Diego entrepreneurs who have pledged to share their windfall once their companies reach a liquidity event.  One of our program directors will be in touch with more information about the next steps and the Founders’ Society after you submit your pledge.

Contact us at founderspledge@ucsd.edu to learn more.