The UAB Benevolent Fund is the established, primary means of UAB employees supporting charitable efforts outside of UAB.

Designation Nonprofits - Nonprofits may be included on the list to which our UAB employees can designate their Benevolent Fund giving. Applications are accepted once a year on a rolling basis with deadlines of October 15.

Nonprofit Grants – Currently, there are no available grant opportunities. Please check back in October 2024.

For additional information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

What is a Designation Nonprofit

Designation nonprofits can receive contributions from all UAB employees who give through the Benevolent Fund. This is not a grant. Instead, it is a way for UAB employees to continuously support a nonprofit while encouraging their colleagues to contribute, too. Each year in September, nonprofits will receive a check from the UAB Benevolent Fund. You will receive the amount designated to your nonprofit from UAB employees less an administrative fee that typically runs between 7-8 percent. There is no limit to the number of designations a nonprofit can receive.

Partner agencies of the United Way of Central Alabama receive funding through the Benevolent Fund’s contribution to the UWCA. Partner Agencies may be listed as a designation nonprofit if they wish to receive designated gifts through their UWCA allocation. Please contact the Benevolent Fund office for additional information.

The application to become a UAB Benevolent Fund designation nonprofit is similar to other funding applications. However, there are two requests that are specific to UAB Benevolent Fund to demonstrate UAB employee support for the nonprofit:

1. Describe collaborations, if any, with UAB Callahan Eye, UA Health Services Foundation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Health System, UAB Hospital, VIVA Health.

2. Submit pledges from a minimum of five UAB employees totaling at least $1,000.

Applications are reviewed once a year with deadlines of October 15 according to the following schedule.

Once on the designation list, nonprofits will:

• Provide annual programmatic and financial reports to the Benevolent Fund by December 1

• Present to the Benevolent Fund approximately once every 3 years
• Maintain a minimum of $1,000 annually in pledge designations from UAB employees

This keeps the nonprofit in good standing and on the Benevolent Fund Designation List indefinitely.

Securing Pledges

There are several ways for you to secure the required pledges from UAB employees:

• Identify UAB employees who are willing to share this opportunity with their colleagues and raise pledges on your behalf. These can be:
  • UAB employees who currently donate to your nonprofit.
  • UAB employees that support your nonprofit through volunteering and/or board service.
  • UAB employees with family members who benefit from your programs.

A fillable pledge form is available for you to prefill it with the designation directed to your nonprofit.

Pledges will not begin until a nonprofit is approved for the designation list.

The best way to maintain the $1,000 annual threshold is for donors to make a continuous payroll pledge but that is not necessary.

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