UC Irvine Giving Day 2025

The Student Philanthropy Committee at UC Irvine is proud to be part of the Anteaters Give Back campaign, a new initiative designed to create a lasting culture of giving across our campus. This dynamic approach allows all students – undergraduate and graduate alike – to engage in philanthropy early in their academic journey, rather than waiting for their senior class gift. 


Through the Anteaters Give Back campaign, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of student philanthropy. This initiative is not about the size of the donation, but about the act of giving itself – showing that even small contributions can make a big difference when we all come together. 

By supporting this project, you’ll not only help us provide a much-needed resource for our campus but also be part of building a lasting culture of student philanthropy at UC Irvine.

This year, our campaign is focused on supporting the Basic Needs Center, which plays a crucial role in addressing food insecurity and supporting students in need.

The center relies on an electric golf cart to efficiently bring supplies to their Fresh Pantry, Mobile Pantry and Snack Racks, which provide nutritious food to students across campus. 

Unfortunately, their current golf cart is aging and increasingly unreliable. A decade-old, it is a secondhand model with no seatbelts, headlights or protective covering on the back. This cart struggles with the steep inclines around campus and is often unable to meet the demands of daily operations. In short, the Basic Needs Center needs a new, reliable and safe vehicle to continue their vital work.

By raising $30,000, we aim to provide the Basic Needs Center with a new GEM electric golf cart that is sturdy, enclosed and much safer for transporting food and supplies.

This new cart will keep supplies secure and let the team transport more with each trip. The enclosed, weather-proof design will ensure that items are safely delivered across campus, and the cart will be able to handle inclines and long distances. 

The new golf cart will allow the Basic Needs Center team of professional staff and student workers to better serve the campus community by picking up donations, transporting resources across campus, and running the Mobile Pantry with increased efficiency.

So, join your fellow Anteaters and consider making a contribution to this important initiative today! And remember, the value of giving back is not the amount you give, but the fact that you are giving at all that truly makes a difference!

Throughout the years, we have seen class gifts support many noble efforts across campus. Sometimes, these gifts have been overseen by an individual school to fundraise for the benefit of those students alone. But the majority of class gifts have gone towards improvements that benefit all Anteaters. 

Take a look at this list of iconic past gifts and see if you recognize any landmarks!

1987: Bronze Anteater statue - Bren Events Center

2003: Bench with bronze Anteater using laptop - Student Center

2005: Study Room - Student Center

2007: Support and care for the Giant Anteater at the Santa Ana Zoo

2008: Student Scholarships

2009: Gift designation of student/donor choice

2010: Bronze Bell - UCI Student Center Tower

2011: Distinguished Anteater Award Scholarship

2012: Anteater Emblem - Newkirk Alumni Center

2013: Terrace Stage - UCI Student Center

2014: Children's Rock Climbing Wall - UCI Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders

2015: 3D Printing & Scanning Lab & Tech "Sandbox" at UCI Libraries - Ayala Science Library

2016: Telepresence Robot for UCI Students - School of Education

2020: Financial Aid Scholarships

Like many other areas of campus life, the 2020 pandemic made it difficult to maintain the momentum of the former class gift programs. Which is why we are so excited to bring back this philanthropic opportunity to all Anteaters in 2025 with a fresh take and in support of such a worthy campus institution – the Basic Needs Center!