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The GSB and The Stanford Challenge

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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How is the GSB part of The Stanford Challenge?

The GSB's new directions intersect with the goals of Stanford University through The Stanford Challenge. As part of the University's goals to seek solutions to real-world problems and educate the leaders who will address them, our priorities include curricular innovations, attracting and retaining the best faculty and students, a new physical infrastructure, and multidisciplinary collaborations. In partnering more closely with the University, the GSB will provide valuable expertise about organizational management that will enrich and transform the multidisciplinary collaborations aimed at addressing large-scale global issues.

As part of the University's comprehensive campaign goal of $4.3 billion, the School has identified the following priorities:

  • $85 million in unrestricted annual giving
  • $95 million to support excellence in faculty research and teaching
  • $30 million for student financial aid
  • $40 million to invest in the ambitious agendas of the School's four centers in entrepreneurship, global management, leadership, and social innovation
  • $250 million toward the construction of a new campus.

All gifts to the GSB count towards The Stanford Challenge.

Why is my gift so important to Stanford's Graduate School of Business?

The GSB is at a defining moment in its history. Transforming the way management education is taught, and attracting and retaining the talent to lead this change and attract the best students, will require a substantial new level of financial support from alumni and friends.

While it is true that a $100 gift to a homeless shelter may seem to have more of an immediate impact on the day-to-day operations of that organization, a gift to the GSB is of a different nature. A gift to the Business School has an exponential impact, reaching far beyond the School itself. The GSB develops and nurtures leaders who positively impact their organizations, sectors, and communities. GSB components such as the Center for Social Innovation, the Public Management Program, and the Alumni Consulting Team promote innovative, effective, and efficient solutions to social problems in the United States and around the world. More than 500 nonprofit leaders have attended the Center for Social Innovation's Executive Education courses since they began in 2002.

Investing in the GSB is a vote of confidence in future leaders who will run the organizations that benefit society.

Doesn't the GSB already have a significant endowment?

While the GSB's endowment is significant compared to most nonprofit organizations, this advantage has earned the School a reputation for delivering an exemplary academic program and developing world-class leaders.

The GSB's endowment provides a large measure of stability which we rely on to fund ongoing programs and to innovate. Together with alumni giving, the endowment provides 44 percent of the School's annual operating budget. Both endowed and expendable gifts to the GSB have a tremendous impact on the School's ability to conduct its daily work and to embark on new visionary directions.

Why does the GSB need a new campus?

The purpose of the new campus is to support the new curriculum and closer collaboration with the University. To transform the way the GSB delivers management education, a more flexible campus is required—one that supports a wider variety of teaching and learning methods and that fosters partnerships with faculty and students from around Stanford.

In 1965, as Stanford University reached international prominence, the GSB completed a new look in management education with a great new facility, which together took us to the top of our field. Almost a half-century later, with your help, we will again revolutionize management education—and integrate it with the greater efforts of Stanford University—in a campus that will be a supportive venue for everything we do.

Will my gift to the GSB in support of The Stanford Challenge count towards my reunion?

All gifts to the Stanford University Graduate School of Business count toward The Stanford Challenge, including reunion gifts. Specifically, all gifts count towards the GSB's priorities within the University-wide campaign.

Why is unrestricted support important?

Each year the GSB raises a key stream of sustained core support for existing programs and new initiatives. An unrestricted gift provides the School with the freedom and flexibility to seize opportunities and meet unexpected needs for curriculum innovation, path-breaking research, and enhancements to student life. Annual, unrestricted gifts through the Business School Fund constitute nearly 20 percent of the School's annual operating revenues. The fiscal year begins September 1 and ends August 31.

Where can I obtain information on how to make gifts and accepted forms of payment?

For information on various ways and methods of making gifts to the GSB, please visit the Business School Fund website.

Please note: Always consult with your financial or tax advisor to see how giving to Stanford's Graduate School of Business will affect your individual tax situation.