Empowering futures with your help!

By Sarah Fullerton

Digital Communications Specialist

Thank you to all who donated to the Faculty of Science for Giving Tuesday. Whether supporting the SCI of Relief Fund, the Waterloo Eye Institute, or the Pharmacy Student Success Fund, know that your donations go a long way in assisting our students in receiving innovative education and achieving academic excellence. Together with the School of Optometry and Vision Science and the School of Pharmacy, 350 donors raised over $175,000 that will support our science initiatives. We are so grateful for the generous contributions we received. Please read on to learn more about our funds and areas of support!  

Faculty of Science: SCI of Relief Fund 

Thanks to our generous donors, the SCI of Relief Fund surpassed its goal, raising $8,150 with donations matched 1:1 up to $5,000! The fund will provide programs, education, and outreach activities to support the mental well-being of science undergraduate and graduate students, increase awareness of mental health initiatives, and create a community where students can thrive and feel supported throughout their time at the University of Waterloo.   

School of Optometry and Vision Science: Waterloo Eye Institute

Thanks to the generosity of many alumni and friends, the School of Optometry and Vision Science raised $158,513 from 295 donors, topping the University's Giving Tuesday fundraising efforts for the third year in a row. This includes matching gifts from our generous Challenge Champions, the Porcupine Optometric Association and Dr. C. Lisa Prokopich, plus top-ups from the University for getting the most donors and most dollars raised.  

In addition, the School's Giving Tuesday success means it completed the $1 million match challenge issued last year by Dr. Marta Witer and the Ihnatowycz Family Foundation. All proceeds go toward building the Waterloo Eye Institute. 

School of Pharmacy: Student Success Fund 

Thank you to the generous pharmacy community donors for helping Waterloo Pharmacy surpass its 2023 Giving Tuesday goal for the Student Success Fund. The school was the first unit at the University to meet its original challenge of $2,000 on Nov 21 from Challenge Champion, Hallman Director Andrea Edginton, when this year’s Giving Tuesday site launched. An additional $1,000 challenge from Professor David Edwards was added, raising a total of $10,780!

Again, thanks to everyone who supported the Faculty of Science this Giving Tuesday – we couldn’t have done it without you!