Supporting one another
Alumni and donors: Responding to the call for help
T hrough the support of alumni and donors, VCU launched two funds, supporting both the students who were learning in a dramatically new academic climate and the caregivers and researchers of VCU Health who were providing services to patients and seeking solutions to the outbreak of the virus.
Two funds support a response to COVID-19
The VCU COVID-19 Response Fund provides resources to the researchers and caregivers working around-the-clock to fight the pandemic, while the VCU Student Life and Learning Fund will help students as they navigate an array of challenges created by the outbreak, as well as other circumstances that could arise.
Student life and learning
The VCU Student Life and Learning Fund provided unrestricted dollars to support the most pressing needs of students to enrich their lives and learning experiences. Gifts to the fund provided support to students who needed emergency assistance for travel, internet access, housing and other needs. It also helped cover student costs, including equipment, online resources, books and supplies, while offering support for conference and experiential learning opportunities. Finally, the fund provided tuition relief, academic and career advising, and internship support efforts.
COVID-19 research
On the research front, the gifts to the fund support investigations into new technologies to test for and diagnose the virus and into new and existing therapies to treat it. The fund also provides financial assistance to create lab testing kits. In clinical care, the fund helps cover the financial and material needs of caregivers and patients and supports the training of frontline health workers in the U.S. and abroad to respond to the pandemic. In addition, gifts to the fund support emergency services for patients, screenings based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health, and full-function treatment rooms for pediatric care.