Every gift makes a difference
Join our endeavour to develop engaged and productive individuals and communities. We strive to provide the leaders of tomorrow with a challenging and stimulating environment driven by Waterloo’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
Make an investment in our students’ learning experience.
Arts priority projects
Arts co-op for social good fund
Make a Difference
You can support Arts students who want to make a positive difference in society AND strengthen the Not-for-Profit Sector with a gift to the Co-op for Social Good Fund.
Co-Op for Social Good
The Co-op for Social Good program funds co-op positions at not-for-profits. The program helps Arts students gain valuable work experience, learn how not-for-profits are advancing important social and cultural causes, develop future-ready skill sets, and enrich their understanding of what it’s like to work in the non-profit sector. Meanwhile, non-profit organizations will benefit from the entrepreneurial mindset and the passion for humanity that Waterloo Arts students bring to their workplaces.
Longhouse Labs project
Longhouse Labs Project
The Longhouse Labs Project aims to dismantle the complex set of barriers faced by Indigenous visual artists that hinder their full participation in the Canadian arts and culture sector and to embed Indigenous knowledge and practices into traditionally Eurocentric Fine Arts curriculum, and the wider campus community. Led by Professor Logan MacDonald (mixed-European/Mi’kmaw of the Qalipu First Nation), Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Art, the only Studio Art-focused Chair in Indigenous Art in Ontario, the project will address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s call to ensure equitable Indigenous contributions to the cultural life of our country. The project will create opportunities for emerging Indigenous visual artists to assume leadership roles in both art and education by providing meaningful, eight-month long residencies, mentorship and exhibition opportunities at the University of Waterloo.
Foundation for Palestinian Studies Fund
Foundation for Palestinian Studies
The Foundation for Palestinian Studies Fund aims to spark meaningful dialogue around Palestine: its history, its culture, and the challenges Palestinians face today. We will extend educational opportunities to our students, faculty and the larger community by bringing in fresh perspectives and established expertise, offering our students new intercultural experiences to foster inclusive cultural understanding, compassion, and mutual respect, and support research and education to resolve conflict, relieve suffering, and build peace.
Arts 360 Fund
Arts 360 - Faculty of Arts Research and Travel Grants Fund
Experiential learning builds on academic learning. As a founding principle of a University of Waterloo education, experiences beyond the classroom allow our students to apply their knowledge and problem-solving skills in the real world. It means they are exposed to challenges and encouraged to test their new insights and capacities — and to push beyond their comfort zone. By equipping students with new skills and broad perspectives, experiential learning ensures graduates are ready to make a difference in the real world.
Financial barriers exist for many students. Travel and accommodation costs keep rising, while entry fees for competitions and conferences can be prohibitive. Even local experiential learning opportunities are not feasible for students who must use their non-academic time to earn money.
With your support, students can pursue the knowledge and skills they need for a bright future.
International Experience
Arts International Experience Award Fund
In an increasingly globalized world, where geographic, economic and cultural borders are fluid, young people must be skilled at working across environments and cultures. By taking their studies abroad, students enhance their language, leadership, and cross-cultural communication skills. They experience first-hand what they have been studying in class, whether it’s an archeological dig or ancient ruins in Greece. They return with maturity, confidence and a new sense of self-reliance — and improved career prospects.
The University of Waterloo offers many opportunities to study, work and grow abroad. Generous donors have made several funds available to support these activities, but travel and living costs continue to rise, a barrier for many students who wish to travel.
Your support would mean more students gain valuable skills and create unforgettable memories abroad.
Connect 4 Success
Connect 4 Success -Faculty of Arts Research and Travel Grants Fund
Archival research, conference participation, fieldwork, and internships provide irreplaceable and necessary opportunities for graduate students who are working to improve our world through their advanced studies.
While online platforms provide access to masses of information and people, it is still the personal interactions and primary research that makes the difference in graduate education. When masters and doctoral students travel to conferences or research sites, they develop new skills, connect with diverse academics, and form professional relationships that will inspire future successes.
Expenses for conference and research travel can range from a few hundred dollars for domestic activities to thousands of dollars for international opportunities. But a little financial help can make a world of difference. Through the Connect 4 Success Fund, you will enable the best and brightest graduate students to reach their destinations and their academic potential.
Scholarships
Providing scholarships for the University of Waterloo means helping students reach their goals; without financial aid, many students could not afford to pursue their education and realize their potential. It also means contributing to the University of Waterloo’s reputation as one of the top research-intensive universities in Canada.
Scholarships help attract and retain talented undergraduate and graduate students, providing the support they need to successfully complete their degrees. They also support exciting scholarly and applied research in the humanities, social sciences and creative arts.
Your support ensures a bright future for our students, whether they use their newfound skills in the private or public sector or continue their path in academia as researchers and educators.
Areas of ongoing need
By supporting the area of highest need, you allow the Faculty of Arts to respond with flexibility to address new opportunities and tackle challenges as they arise. Your gifts may support initiatives such as: enhancing the range of student learning experiences; technology renewal; infrastructure needs; or scholarship and awards to help us attract and retain outstanding students and faculty.
If you have any questions about making a gift to Arts, please contact artsadv@uwaterloo.ca or call Kim Bardwell at 519-888-4567, ext. 47310.