The funds highlighted below represent just a few examples of affinity giving at Drew.
Drew Athletics
Drew’s Athletics Department is committed to providing the very best intercollegiate athletic experience possible to our student-athletes participating in 20 different NCAA Division III sports. Participation in varsity athletics is typically cited by our athlete-alumni as one of the highlights of their Drew experience. Our widely-esteemed athletics programs complement our challenging and individualized academic environment, by fostering in student-athletes the leadership, teamwork, and motivational skills necessary for them to succeed in their professional and personal lives after graduation.
Your support provides the resources needed for the Rangers to compete at the highest level and is invested, in other words, in making the Drew athletics experience the very best for our talented and hard-working student-athletes. Gifts to Drew Athletics—which can support athletics in general or a program of your choice–provide crucial funding for:
- Equipment needs
- Uniform purchases
- Improvements to our playing fields, courts and training facilities
- Team travel and lodging
Please contact the Office of University Advancement at advancement@drew.edu with questions about giving to Drew’s Athletics Department.
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Alan Candiotti Fund for Innovation in Technology and Education
The Alan Candiotti Fund for Innovation in Technology and Education was created in memory and recognition of Dr. Alan Candiotti’s legacy and leadership at Drew, his enthusiastic commitment to innovation in the integration of technology and the liberal arts and his longstanding dedication to his students, his colleagues, and Drew University. Endowed in 2013, the fund enables the implementation of educational and technological innovations by both faculty and staff that improve the quality of instruction and enhance learning opportunities and experiences for Drew University students. It is designed to reflect the breadth of our beloved colleague’s contributions.
During his more than three decades of service to Drew, Alan wore so many hats and touched so many lives that it is hard to know where to begin to describe his influence. He was a dedicated, gifted teacher who was as passionate about the success of his students as he was about the beauty of mathematics; he was a compassionate boss and bold leader in his role as vice president of University technology; and he was a respected faculty colleague who never failed to bring insight, unfailing collegiality and good sense to any issue. He was a friend, a touchstone and an inspiration. Your contribution to this fund serves as a testament to the positive and lasting impact Alan had on Drew. Thank you for your generosity and help in creating this tribute to a dear friend and colleague, Dr. Alan Candiotti.
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Drew Honduras Project
Since 1995, members of the Drew Community have traveled to Honduras or the Dominican Republic to provide aid to children’s homes and orphanages. This student-run volunteer program is described as “people caring about people.” Participants in Drew Honduras Project often feel they benefit from the trip as much as the people they’ve worked with. After the trip they remain civically engaged, frequently volunteering in their communities.
Although a U.S. State Department advisory against travel to Honduras has altered the trip’s destination to the Dominican Republic in recent years, the program remains in name and spirit the Drew Honduras Project and the group still sends supplies and donations to past community partners in Honduras. During this educational experience that is unlike any other, participants spend their time providing physical labor for the benefit of the children’s homes and communities, and immersing themselves in the culture. Recently, the group has worked with Hogar de Niñas María Madre de Dios, an orphanage and home for girls in Bonao in the Dominican Republic. The Drew group has painted dormitories and common areas, and conducted English language and computer classes for the girls, teaching important career skills and learning about the Dominican Republic in return.
How Can You Help?
It is through the generosity of current and former students, families, friends, faculty, and neighbors that we have been able to continue the Drew Honduras Project. Your donation, of any size, will supplement the year-long fundraising campaign led by our students. Your gift can make an impact in many ways:
- $15 provides soccer balls for the children at the schools around Copán, Honduras;
- $25 provides milk for the children in the orphanage in Copán for a week;
- $40 allows an impoverished Honduran child to stay in school by paying for school supplies, school uniforms, medical care and specialized support for one year;
- $100 provides a year’s worth of notebooks and pencils for children at one mountain school in Honduras or for the girls at Hogar de Niñas in Bonao, Dominican Republic;
- $200 provides jeans and underwear for new students at El Hogar, Honduras;
- $350 will buy supplies to make a playground for the girls at Hogar de Niñas;
- $450 covers the airfare of one Drew student volunteering with the Honduras Project
More to See
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EOS - Educational Opportunity Scholars
The Educational Opportunity Scholars Program (EOS) provides access to higher education and support for highly motivated students who exhibit the potential for success. Since 1974, over 500 Drew graduates have been EOS beneficiaries and the population of student participants has become increasingly reflective of the growing cultural diversity within the state of New Jersey.
EOS has greatly enhanced the academic progress and future success of our students. The program promotes degree completion by providing academic intervention services, individual and group study opportunities and other initiatives designed to help participants reach their full potential.
Drew University helps EOS students launch their University careers through a required six-week residential Summer Academic Enrichment Program. EOS students gain a head start on their education by earning credits, forming relationships, and familiarizing themselves with professional services available on campus. At the end of the summer, students are fully prepared to meet the challenges–and the exciting opportunities–of the University. Although integral to the overall EOS effort, the summer program is difficult for many students to fund. Between tuition, room and board, books and required health insurance, the cost for one student to attend the summer program is more than $5,000. Your support helps underwrite this cost and goes a long way in giving our students the best start along their path to success.
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LucyAnn Saltzman Theatre and Dance Department Emergency Fund
Whenever we meet prospective theatre students, we have many stories to share with them about our vibrant, dynamic department and how it shapes the experiences of our graduates. You’ll find Drew alums acting and writing, fundraising for top theatre organizations like Theatre for a New Audience and Manhattan Theatre Club, stage managing opera and Broadway shows or working as a digital project manager or production assistant.
Drew’s nationally-ranked Theatre and Dance department attracts the diehard actors and designers as well as the tech people, playwrights and directors. But there is also a substantial group, just as talented, who want to keep theatre an important part of their lives while pursuing other careers. We encourage our students to wear as many hats as possible while they are with us, and they graduate with skills in areas such as lighting, sound, stage design and writing as well as performance. This flexibility helps our graduates get those first opportunities.
The Lucy Ann Saltzman Theatre and Dance Department Emergency Fund provides support for our fellow theatre and dance students when they need it most. The most critical need we have is simple: to ensure that our most promising students have the opportunity to complete their Drew education when unexpected financial difficulties arise. It often comes down to a shortfall of just a few thousand dollars per student, which we can easily raise by joining together. The Lucy Ann Saltzman Theatre and Dance Department Emergency Fund has kept outstanding students at Drew who otherwise would not have been able to continue.
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Charles A. Dana Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti (RISE)

Since it was founded in 1980, the Charles A. Dana Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti (RISE) has offered our talented undergraduates the opportunity to engage in advanced research under the supervision of retired industrial scientists and researchers. Experiential learning at its finest, RISE projects cover topic areas including drug discovery, industrial microbiology, mathematics and more. More than 400 Drew students have been mentored through the program, the vast majority of whom have gone on to top-notch Ph.D. programs, enrolled in leading medical dental, and veterinary schools; or begun STEM-related careers in industry, medicine and academe.
RISE is staffed by highly accomplished senior scientists from companies such as Schering-Plough, Merck and Bell Laboratories. Most notably, Drew RISE Associate Fellow William Campbell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015 by helping develop an anti-parasitic drug. Campbell has been mentoring and guiding students in the lab for over 25 years.
Drew University is committed to making the enhancement of the sciences an institutional priority. By developing our unique programs—like RISE—we can attract the best and brightest minds to Drew and set the foundation for a new model of science education within the liberal arts. It has been shown that STEM students thrive when they are given mentors and early exposure to exciting, cutting-edge laboratory science. By supporting RISE, you help set students on the path to becoming tomorrow’s scientists, teachers and doctors. Your gifts provide funding for student research experiences, updated laboratories and state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation and equipment.
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Robert G. Smith Endowment for Experiential Learning
Established in 2013, this endowment honors Professor Robert G. “Bob” Smith C’36, founder of the Department of Political Science and the United Nations and London semesters. An exemplar of the critical interplay between faculty mentoring and experiential learning, Professor Smith was an innovative educator who had a remarkable effect, shaping the intellectual and professional growth of his students.
The Smith Endowment has enabled its recipients to participate in the real-world learning experiences that are a hallmark of a Drew education. It supports experiential learning opportunities including internships and academic off-campus programs that are focused on municipal finance, public policy and administration and law. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in an evening seminar cross-listed by the political science and economics departments and taught by guest lecturers that include alumni. The seminar prepares undergraduates for the types of internships the Smith Endowment makes possible.
The Robert G. Smith Endowment for Experiential Learning has already given students the ability to participate in valuable work experience, by providing critical funding for stipends to cover train fare and other costs associated with these typically unpaid internships.
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Drew Rugby Football Club

Drew Rugby Football Club (DRFC) has been a part of Drew for more than half a century. The alumni game during Reunion each year is named in honor of beloved former rugby player, Arthur D. “Soc” Deacon III C’82. Each year, the Deacon Cup is awarded to the winning side in his memory.
Drew Rugby is a loyal group, one that our alumni are proud to be a part of. With the support of alumni, the club will be around for years to come, keeping the classic traditions alive while also creating some new ones.
Remember the role the team played during your years at Drew? The friendship and camaraderie are unmatched. Financial support provides the resources necessary to strengthen the club’s recruitment, training and player retention efforts overall and continue to provide a strong rugby program for students now and in the future. DRFC is a brotherhood, and our younger brothers need our help every year to sustain these improvements and keep our club growing and thriving for the next generation.
Your support provides the resources needed for the DRFC to compete at the highest level. Gifts provide funding for:
- Coach’s Stipend
- Transportation
- Equipment
- Uniforms
- League fees
As always, thank you for recognizing the significance that the rugby club has had on students’ lives, and how our rugby family can continue to make an impact for years to come.
Drew also has a Women’s Rugby Football Club, which is celebrating 25 years. For more information, visit their club page.
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William G. Hosking Scholarship
William “Billy” Hosking has been shaping the lives of Drew students since 1983. His generous spirit is unmatched and alumni chose to honor him by establishing a scholarship in his name that celebrates his continued dedication to all of us in the Drew community. Since it was established in 2003, the William G. Hosking Scholarship has benefitted many deserving scholarship recipients—most of whom could not have completed their studies at Drew without this award. The Hosking Scholarship is awarded annually to one or more students who demonstrate financial need and who show high promise for contributing to extracurricular life.
Not only does the fund continue to grow, but the volunteer leadership for the Hosking Scholarship has also expanded to represent the next generation of student-athletes who were inspired by Billy. We have all helped to build Billy’s scholarship together. More than 250 Drew alumni and friends have supported the fund since it was established and it remains one of the largest scholarship campaigns in Drew history. By joining together and pooling contributions at every level, we are able to have an immeasurable impact on students. We value your partnership to sustain this celebration of Billy’s life and work. Your gift of any size will join with others to shape the lives of current and future Drew students—just as Billy does.
Pearl Sutter C’18, neuroscience major, biochemistry minor, Hosking Scholar
“I first remember seeing Billy as I started to leave my first fencing practice. He was sitting outside the uniform room on the lower level of the Simon Forum. As I trudged past him, exhausted from a long day of classes and an exhausting practice, he waved to me and told me to have a good night. Just those kind words from a stranger (at the time) were enough to make me smile and momentarily forget all the stresses from the day. His dedication to each team at Drew is unique and his care for each of the athletes is admirable.”
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