The Next Step
Create Lasting Impact
At the 17Թ, progress is powered by people—by the alumni, donors and friends who believe in what's next. Through reinvestment in students, programs and places, we're building on the strength of our history to shape a brighter future. Together with the USD Foundation & Alumni Association, every act of generosity moves USD forward, creating lasting impact for generations to come.
Create Lasting Impact
Value of Reinvestment
Want to Dive Deeper?
Take a look at our official written policy for a better insight on our new giving model.
FAQs
The USDFAA is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and the only organization in the world exclusively dedicated to supporting USD. With responsibility for academic development, athletic development and the alumni association, USDFAA carefully stewards every gift to make the biggest difference. At the same time, we foster lifelong alumni engagement, ensuring that giving through the foundation creates lasting impact for students, faculty and the wider USD community.
USDFAA relies heavily on an annual administrative fee on endowment funds, with some supplemental support from the university, operational gifts and interest income. Because most of our funding comes from a single source, we are exploring ways to diversify revenue and strengthen our foundation.
Many peer institutions, including SDSU, NDSU, UND and others, have dedicated a portion of gifts received to support their operations for years, helping them grow and achieve long-term impact. With the approval of our reinvestment fee, USDFAA now has a more competitive and sustainable funding model that better aligns with industry standards, allowing us to increase support for the university, follow proven fundraising strategies and maximize the impact of every gift.
Donors occasionally have questions about how our fee structure compares to community foundations or other philanthropic organizations. While we acknowledge the great work of many of those entities, our missions differ dramatically in scope. USDFAA is the only organization in the world committed exclusively to supporting USD’s complex priorities and needs.
A reinvestment fee takes a small portion of every gift to support critical activities such as fundraising, alumni engagement, alumni communications, donor relations and stewardship. This allows us to do more than maintain the status quo—it strengthens our foundation, increases support for the university and positions USDFAA to scale its impact while following best practices in fundraising and alumni engagement.
By providing a more balanced mix of funding that is fairly applied across all gifts, the reinvestment fee also multiplies the impact of every contribution, inspires additional giving and strengthens alumni and community engagement. Together, these investments help create exceptional graduates and a stronger 17Թ.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, all lifetime gifts received will be subject to a 5% reinvestment fee, and all estate gifts received will be subject to a 10% reinvestment fee. Lifetime pledges documented before Jan. 1, 2026, are not subject to the fee. Estate gifts received on or after the implementation date will be subject to the reinvestment fee regardless of when they were documented. For more information, please see the reinvestment fee policy.
The reinvestment fee was studied and approved by USDFAA’s board of directors, which comprises more than twenty donors and alumni, as well as the university president. Through conversations with donors, stakeholders and campus leaders we shaped a policy that aligns with our shared commitment to advancing USD’s mission and creating lasting impact.
USDFAA is the designated organization for charitable gifts to the university, including all academic units and the athletic department. Only gifts received directly by the foundation receive a charitable gift receipt for tax purposes.
The full value of your gift is recognized for tax purposes.
Yes. Donors who wish to ensure that the full amount of their gift is applied to their designated purpose can choose to cover the reinvestment fee, allowing USDFAA to continue supporting operations while directing 100% of the gift to the donor’s chosen priority.
Yes. We encourage anyone interested in learning more to connect with a development director to discuss questions and explore ways to support USD. Please visit our Meet the Team page to connect today.
Learn More
Check out our 17Թ and Giving pages to learn more about the history of the USDFAA, how to give and what it means to be part of the Coyote community.
17Թ
The USD Foundation & Alumni Association strengthens USD through scholarships, alumni connections and over $250 million raised since 1922.
Learn More 17ԹGiving
Futures are being built at the 17Թ, and you can help shape them. When you make a gift to USD, you’re investing in the next generation of leaders like you.
Learn More Giving