The University's Most Flexible Annual Giving Fund
The UIS Fund provides unrestricted support to UIS, making it one of the most important gift funds at UIS. You can give safely online to this valuable fund by visiting our giving page and searching for "UIS Fund." If you are a donor who responds generously to these annual appeals, you are providing crucial support for UIS, and we thank you.
Through annual appeals, we ask donors to give most often to the UIS Fund, but you always have the option of giving to any fund of your choice, including department funds, student organizations, the general UIS Scholarship Fund, or many other funds.
You can choose a fund you want to support through your annual gifts.
Here are some recent ways the UIS Fund has supported needs across campus.
Student Skill Development
A cutting-edge esports game arena is available on campus, allowing students to virtually compete against other collegiate teams in the United States. Creating the UIS Esports Arena was a campus-wide effort with multiple units - including the UIS Fund - providing funds and services to transform the space.
Addressing Student Needs
Generous gifts from donors to the UIS Fund support areas around campus like the UIS Cares Food Pantry. With previous donations made to the UIS Fund, the food pantry was able to provide baskets of food to students who stayed on campus.
Prospective Student Opportunities
Donations from the UIS Fund were used to provide buses so prospective high school students and their parents from Chicago and St. Louis had the opportunity to visit UIS for a day-long educational experience. These trips immersed more than 250 prospective students in the diverse culture and welcoming community that UIS exemplifies. Many were first generation and underrepresented minority prospective student groups.
2026 UIS Fund Projects
Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling of Solar and Weather Impacts on Building Energy EfficiencyEfficiency is a student‑driven research initiative that explores how artificial intelligence can make buildings more energy‑efficient and sustainable by analyzing how sunlight, cloud cover, and outdoor weather affect indoor heating needs. With this award, three student researchers will develop simulations, study real weather data, and build lightweight neural network models that reveal how buildings respond to changing environmental conditions. These students will also have opportunities to present their work at the 2026 IEEE International Electrical and Energy Conference and the UIS Student Technology, Arts & Research Symposium, providing hands‑on experiences that advance national sustainability goals and empower students to shape the future of clean energy innovation.
Hardware for the Hub will strengthen the academic support offered by the Learning Hub by upgrading essential technology used during tutoring sessions. This award will allow the Hub to replace outdated laptops with iPads and Apple Pencils, ensuring smoother, more reliable online tutoring and expanding access to both real‑time and on‑demand resources helping students to succeed.
The Get Free Music Series will utilize this award to bring a third season of free jazz and free‑improvisation performances to campus, offering rare access to innovative, boundary‑pushing music for students and community members at each event. This funding will help compensate two visiting artists and promote both performances, enriching the cultural life of UIS and expanding meaningful artistic opportunities for the campus and broader community.
VitaTaxHub@UIS will host the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program on campus, providing free basic tax preparation to individuals who need it most—including those earning $67,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and taxpayers with limited English proficiency. The UIS Fund award will cover essential program costs such as volunteer refreshments, small recognition gifts, parking for participants, and promotional materials, ensuring the service runs smoothly while giving student and community volunteers meaningful opportunities to support their neighbors.
Wellness Hub at UIS – UIS is joining peer institutions in creating modern spaces that reflect the growing importance of mental health and wellness in student success. Located on the second floor of TRAC, the space will provide a calm, restorative environment along with materials that support mental and physical health. The Wellness Hub will feature a high‑quality massage chair, a Theragun station, and other passive wellness tools that help students manage stress, relieve muscle tension, and restore balance during demanding academic periods. These resources promote improved mental health, better sleep, enhanced focus, and physical recovery after long study sessions or workouts. The Wellness Hub will serve as a long‑lasting investment in our campus community, helping students feel better, think more clearly, and thrive both academically and personally.
Questions?
Contact the Division of Advancement.