The Rice Family Fellows program is a giving society for parents and family members who are committed to fulfilling the university's mission to provide a transformative undergraduate education to its students. By generously supporting the programs and initiatives that matter most to their students, Family Fellows are philanthropic leaders in the Rice community.
Family Fellows share a personalized connection with Rice leadership. Through personalized opportunities based on a family’s philanthropic interests, Family Fellows are able to deeply engage with the university. Family Fellows and their Owls are also invited to signature events – past examples include a reception with the Rice president and distinguished faculty during Families Weekend in the fall. Family Fellows is a wonderful way to make an impact on initiatives you find important while involving your entire family in the Rice community – we encourage all members of your family to participate and attend events!
The Arc of Parent Giving
You can optimize your philanthropy at Rice by structuring the size and complexity of your giving each year in relation to your student’s experiences and passion. This chart outlines a giving strategy popular among Rice parents.
Your Family's Comprehensive Gift
Typically, Rice families bundle their annual contributions with more targeted gifts into a single, comprehensive philanthropic package to maximize its impact across the institution. As illustrated in the chart below, there is no single typical comprehensive gift, and giving comes in many forms.
PLEASE NOTE: Your family’s comprehensive gift can include stocks, bonds, securities, matching gifts and mutual funds. Our gift planning team can also assist you in exploring how to give through your estate and retirement planning or through gifts of assets. To learn more, visit giftplan.rice.edu.
The Power of Rice Parents
Rice University is built on a foundation of generosity. Today, Rice parents are vital members of this community of support, with a unique perspective on the power of a Rice education.
The Rice Fund is one of the most important ways parents can equip our students with exceptional resources. Rice Fund gifts have an immediate impact on every current student, including yours, through unrestricted support for Rice’s powerful academic and research environment, residential college life, dynamic career development and leadership resources, and diverse student programs.
Current and past Rice parents made gifts to the Rice Fund last year totaling $600,000 toward the approximately $8 million raised each year.
We invite you to visit giving.rice.edu/parents to learn more about the impact Rice parents and families can have on today’s students.
A Commitment to Leadership
The Rice Family Fellows is a giving society for parents and family members. By generously supporting the programs and initiatives that matter most to your student, Family Fellows are philanthropic leaders in the Rice community. Benefits to being a Family Fellow include:
- Invitations to signature events with a chance to personally interact with the president, distinguished faculty and other Rice leaders.
- Opportunities for personal engagement based on your family’s interests.
- A direct connection to Development and Alumni Relations staff to answer your questions about Rice and your philanthropic support of the university.
- Opportunities to make meaningful connections with a network of other Family Fellows and their students.
We look forward to learning more about your family’s distinctive impact on Rice. To discuss the Rice Family Fellows, please contact Diane O’Brien, Director of Development—Parents and Families, at 713-348-3287 or dobrien@rice.edu.
