RISD Giving and Fundraising

Why give

Change a life, transform a community, make the future.

At RISD we understand that art and design drive human progress and produce innovations that shape our world. We are deeply committed to building an inclusive community enlivened by a culture of risk-taking and critique. RISD’s creative leaders—faculty, students and alumni—are using their skills and imaginations to solve complex problems and make enduring contributions to global culture.

RISD fuels a lifelong passion for art and design and a determination to address the most important challenges of our time. We invite you to invest in RISD at this decisive moment. Together, we can make our world more equitable, more vibrant and more sustainable.

Thank you for your interest in supporting RISD.

$25.4m: raised in 2020-2021;
the second best fundraising year in RISD's history

$3,118,832: given to the RISD Fund in 2020-2021

2,777 donors: the highest number of new donors and alumni donors in the last five years

Momentum / spring 2021

Momentum, a magazine published by RISD's Division of Institutional Advancement, focuses on RISD’s growing culture of philanthropy and volunteer service.

See all issues

RISD Momentum spring 2021

Find your cause

Build the RISD Fund

Make the broadest impact by giving to the RISD Fund. Here you can help RISD address its most pressing needs through unrestricted support, increased financial aid, added support for faculty and academic programs, new equipment and technology, and enhancements to student life.

Support our students

RISD works diligently to attract students from all socioeconomic backgrounds by offering generous financial aid. We are committed to expanding scholarship and fellowship resources and offering additional funding for materials, travel and internships. You can help make it possible for students to attend RISD and take full advantage of all that a RISD education has to offer.

Invest in faculty

In order for RISD to remain responsive to the rapidly changing world of art and design, we must invest in our current faculty and recruit new talented and diverse educators. You can help champion the excellent faculty who serve as the foundation of RISD’s distinctive educational experience and drive our reputation as a global leader in art and design education.

Learn how donors make a real impact

09/14/2021

Donors Invest $25 Million in RISD’s Future

Institutional Advancement wraps up the second-best fundraising year in the history of the institution and recognizes growing alumni engagement.

09/13/2021

RISD Welcomes New Hires Focused on Race and Decolonization

Full-time faculty members to join RISD in fall 2021 as a result of the “Race in Art & Design” cluster hire initiative.

02/11/2021

New Professorship in Sustainability

A generous gift helps RISD bring art and design to bear on the future of the planet.

Connect with RISD

RISD invites you to come back to campus for some of its signature events or join us in cities around the world for special programming. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for early notices of our events and email us at alumni@risd.edu with questions or suggestions.

Please be sure to join us each year for:

RISD Weekend: Gathering of Alumni and Families (October)
New York Design Week Reception (May)
Commencement (June)
Summer Welcomes: Receptions for New RISD Students (August)

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