Overview
At UCLA Luskin, our work is driven by a belief that better cities, stronger safety nets, and impactful policy are within reach. Our students and faculty across Public Policy, Social Welfare, Urban Planning, and Undergraduates share a commitment to translating rigorous research into real change for the communities that need it most. In our school, no challenge is too complex, no community too overlooked, and no student’s potential is out of reach. Our community’s expertise and determination drive real-world impact, and that community includes you. Your support helps make our achievements possible.
Most Pressing Needs
Luskin Student Support Fund
Dean’s Innovation Fund
Complete List of Department and Program Funds.
Giving Options
Join our community of supporters by investing in UCLA Luskin students and faculty as we work together to solve today’s most pressing challenges. Whether you choose to make a one-time contribution or create a lasting legacy, your generosity fuels student success, groundbreaking research, and innovative solutions that improve lives.
There are several ways to support UCLA Luskin:
- One-Time Gift – Make an immediate impact by supporting the area of UCLA Luskin that matters most to you.
- Recurring Gift – Provide reliable, year-round support through convenient automatic giving, whether monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually.
- Endowed Gift – Create a permanent source of funding that will support students, faculty, or programs for generations to come.
- Planned Gift – Leave a lasting legacy by including UCLA Luskin in your estate plans.
Every gift strengthens our collective ability to build a more equitable, sustainable, and just future.
Why I Give
A $50-million gift from two generous UCLA alumni led to the renaming of the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs in 2011. Meyer Luskin, a Los Angeles business leader, and his wife Renee donated a total of $100 million to also fund the Luskin Conference Center, a hotel and meeting venue on campus.
Kayne Doumani MA UP ’95
With a career at the intersection of affordable housing and asset management, alumni donor weighs in on the importance of philanthropy in delivering on your mission. Read the interview
Aaron Ordower MURP ’15 and Matt Kaczmarek BA ’04
Two alumni donors and partners share their thoughts about the value of a UCLA Luskin education and the way it has shaped their career trajectories. Read the interview
Steven King MPP ’22
“From research to policy analysis to advocacy and more, Luskin students learn how to make a real difference.“
Why do you support UCLA Luskin?
I support UCLA Luskin because it’s a premier institution for turning passionate students into leaders and change makers. From research to policy analysis to advocacy and more, Luskin students learn how to make a real difference.
Current occupation
Clean Energy Advocate, Environment California
What does Luskin mean to you?
UCLA Luskin was integral to my academic and professional development. As a proud alumnus and former Luskin employee, I appreciate all the opportunities the School has provided me.
How do you give back?
As a Public Policy alumnus, I give back to the department that gave me so much and prepared me for my career in environmental policy.
Advice for current and incoming students
Take advantage of all the opportunities Luskin has to offer, and enjoy your time to the fullest.
Emily C. William MPP ’98
“The important work that alums are leading speaks volumes.”
Why do you support UCLA Luskin?
There were just 18 of us in the first graduating class of MPPs. We each took a chance on a brand-new program, and UCLA Luskin took a chance on all of us. I believe that I received much more from the program than it did from me, so I will always be a strong supporter.
Current occupation
CEO, UCLA-UCSF ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN)
What does Luskin mean to you?
In the late 1990s, I had to explain what the letters “MPP” stood for and how the program I’d just completed differed from a JD or an MBA. Today, I simply say, “I have an MPP from UCLA Luskin.” The reputation of the students, faculty and course offerings precedes me, and the important work that alums are leading speaks volumes. Renee and Meyer Luskin’s names are now synonymous with excellence.
How do you give back?
I’ve volunteered at Luskin career fairs, mentored students, spoken at Luskin events and panels, and I am a frequent donor. I’m also honored to be a Senior Fellow and a founding member of the MPP Alumni Council.
Advice for current and incoming students
Luskin will offer you a quality education. This is what makes it just as good as any other well-regarded academic institution. One of the things that makes Luskin unique is that it is located within a real-life Petri dish where nearly any policy area you’re seeking to pursue exists. Take advantage not just of the academic offerings here, but also the meetings, events, exhibitions, gatherings and hidden gems that L.A. County’s 88 cities and 200+ unincorporated areas has to offer.
Karen Schetina MSW ’79
“The Luskin School and its superb faculty help students take on the challenges of the day.“
Why do you support UCLA Luskin?
I greatly appreciated my graduate school education, which prepared me for a career in organizational and resource development.
What does Luskin mean to you?
The world and our society are ever-evolving, and the Luskin School and its superb faculty help students develop critical thinking skills and guide them to take on the challenges of the day faced by the individuals and communities they serve.
Stephen Cheung MSW ’07
“Luskin is preparing leaders who are committed to equity, sustainability and resiliency.”
Why do you support UCLA Luskin?
Luskin is preparing leaders who are committed to equity, sustainability and resiliency. We are living in a very volatile environment, and it is vital to our collective future that we have strong leaders who have the ability to balance the many needs of our communities. I support Luskin because Luskin is investing in our future leaders.
Current occupation
President & CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic and Development Corporation and World Trade Center Los Angeles
What does Luskin mean to you?
To me, Luskin represents an institution that is focused on finding solutions that are fact-based and balanced in its approach.
How do you give back?
I serve on the Luskin Board of Advisors, where I volunteer my time to help support the various initiatives including the Luskin Summit. I also contribute financially on an annual basis. Lastly, I previously served as lecturer at the School of Social Welfare.
Advice for current and incoming students
Stay open-minded – there are no simple solutions to our complex societal issues. Keeping yourselves open to non-traditional ways of thinking and disruptive solutions could be the key to successful transformation of our future.
Joan Ling MA UP ’82
“We produce problem solvers with a passion for equity and justice.“
Why do you support UCLA Luskin?
When I went to Urban Planning at UCLA, there was no tuition, just a registration fee. Between a basically free education and financial support for living expenses, I was able to make it through the program with very little debt. That allowed me to focus on pursuing my passion rather than worrying about a steady, well-paying job.
What does Luskin mean to you?
The faculty, staff and students in Urban Planning saw me as someone with real solutions to urban problems. Their respect elevated me, and I learned to see myself as a problem solver and an advocate. This is the culture that prevails in the department to this day. We produce and support problem solvers with a passion for equity and justice.
How do you give back?
While students have a much heavier financial burden studying at UCLA now, I hope to alleviate a little bit of that burden through my annual donation, by freeing a student to work in a summer internship that best fits their ambition in equity or justice. Life is hard in the 21st century, but together we can make a difference in a student’s life and in the community they wish to support and enhance.
Dylan Sittig MURP ’16
“The cost of higher education is becoming more and more of a barrier for students.“
Why do you support UCLA Luskin?
The cost of higher education is becoming more and more of a barrier for students. Alumni giving is one way to help defray costs either via scholarships or providing additional funds for other school priorities.
Current occupation
Senior Planning Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, Fifth District
What does Luskin mean to you?
The academic program at Luskin was top-notch. I enjoyed being able to sample the broad range of classes that were offered, but the real benefit of my Luskin education was the connections with the wonderful group of people that the school brings together — the students, faculty and staff, many of whom I’m still close with today.
How do you give back?
I give financially and attend alumni events when I can, but I most enjoy connecting with incoming or new students and talking to them about the impact they hope to have. This year, I hope to be a client for a group of students for a capstone project about the lease-up process for affordable units in mixed-income housing projects.
Advice for current and incoming students
My advice is to take a broad swath of classes within all the Luskin departments, but also at other schools. Also, get off campus as much as possible for work and for fun.
Gifts at Work
When you give to the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, you invest in people with the vision and determination to create a better future. Your generosity opens doors for talented students by providing scholarships and fellowships that make a UCLA Luskin education possible. It also supports transformative experiences beyond the classroom, from internships and research opportunities to professional conferences and community-based learning, that prepare students to address today’s most pressing public challenges. Every opportunity helps students build the knowledge, confidence, and lifelong professional networks they need to become leaders in government, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector.
Your support also empowers UCLA Luskin’s distinguished faculty to advance groundbreaking research, inspire students, and address complex challenges in public policy, social welfare, urban planning, and beyond. Through research funding and endowed faculty chairs, you help attract and retain exceptional scholars whose work addresses critical issues including housing affordability, climate resilience, transportation, social welfare, economic opportunity, and equitable governance. Their discoveries shape policy, inspire students, and create lasting change in communities across Los Angeles and around the world.
How to Give
You may choose from a number of options for making your gift. Learn more about ways to make your donation:
Donors may elect to make a gift via a charge to a credit or debit card. Make a secure credit or debit card gift online now.
If you are interested in making a gift via check, please contact the UCLA Luskin School External Relations Office at (310) 625-9690.
Make check payable to UCLA Foundation and send to:
The UCLA Foundation
ATTN: Luskin School of Public Affairs
P.O. Box 7145, Pasadena, CA 91109-7145
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521
Monthly payments via electronic funds transfer may be arranged through a donor’s financial institution and the UCLA Foundation.
To ensure proper disposition of the gifts, please contact the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs External Relations Office at (310) 357-3140.
To ensure proper disposition of the gifts, please contact the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs External Relations Office at (310) 357-3140.
UCLA Luskin School welcomes gifts of appreciated stock. You can download the appreciated stock form using the link below. If you have questions, please call the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs External Relations Office at (310) 357-3140 for more information and for detailed transfer instructions.
Employer matching gifts can double or triple your gift…and you can receive full credit for the total amount of the donation for the purposes of recognition and benefits.
You can request and fill in a matching gift form from your company (often through the human resources office) and mail in or email the form to the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs External Relations Office.
For more information, please contact the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs External Relations Office at (310) 357-3140.
Honorary gifts commemorate a significant event or someone who is still living. Alumni also frequently make gifts to honor a faculty member at the Luskin School. A memorial gift can help perpetuate the values and ideals that guided someone’s life. Families of those so honored will be notified of your gift, but the amount of the gift is not disclosed.
If you are interested in making a memorial or honorary gift, please contact the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs External Relations Office at (310) 357-3140.
Real property, either in its entirety or in part, can be deeded to The UCLA Foundation to benefit the University. For residential properties, it is possible to arrange a sizable tax deduction by deeding a home to UCLA, while continuing to occupy the property for life.
UCLA Luskin School gratefully accepts donations of materials that support its academic, teaching and research mission. The University receives a wide variety of such gifts, including rare books and manuscripts, works of art, equipment and other items of value.
If you are interested in making a gift of real estate or materials, please contact the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs External Relations Office at (310) 357-3140.
Legacy gifts have resulted in some of the School’s most generous and far-reaching gifts. Your planned gift will ensure academic excellence and access for generations to come. Your gift can also provide financial and tax benefits for you, your heirs, and others you care about.
Many individuals who could not otherwise make a major gift find they are able to do so with a carefully planned gift, thereby fulfilling their philanthropic goals for the School.
Planned gifts include:
- Bequests
- Gift annuities
- Charitable trusts
- Gifts of property or real estate
Whatever your age, you can make a substantial contribution to the UCLA Luskin School through a planned gift and satisfy your personal tax and long-term financial goals at the same time.
UCLA has extensive planned giving resources, dedicated staff, and in-house attorneys available
Contact Us
If you want to speak directly with us about what you would like to accomplish with your philanthropy to UCLA Luskin, you can reach us at (310) 625-9690 or email us at advancement@luskin.ucla.edu.
Nicole Payton
Senior Executive Director of External Relations
(310) 422-4176
npayton@luskin.ucla.edu
Ricardo Quintero
Senior Director of Development
(310) 357-3140
rquintero@luskin.ucla.edu
Vishal Hira
Associate Director of Development
(310) 625-9690
vhira@luskin.ucla.edu
Tilly Oren
Assistant Director of Stewardship
toren@luskin.ucla.edu
(310) 956-6315
Elizabeth Solis-Molina
Fundraising Coordinator
esolismolina@luskin.ucla.edu
(310) 922-8449