Giving to Islamic Studies

Islam is one of the world’s great religious traditions, with Muslim societies and individuals throughout history and today exerting strong and significant influences. To further the study of Islam at Stanford University, there are several gift opportunities outlined below. In addition, matching funds are available through The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

"Stanford has a major responsibility to shape students' knowledge and perception of the world," says Richard Saller, the Vernon R. and Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences. "We must  be able to teach them about the great cultures, literatures, religions,  and societies through programs like The Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies. My aim is to strengthen this program by adding faculty experts to departments across the humanities and social sciences and providing the language training necessary to meet growing student interest."

We currently seek donors who will join with Stanford University to advance Islamic Studies in the following ways:

Graduate Fellowships
One of the highest priorities for the program is to provide financial aid to students pursuing the Ph.D. in Islamic Studies. Graduate students play a vital role in education and research at Stanford University. They also represent the future of academics, civic life, and the professions. Because of limited external resources, the responsibility for supporting them falls largely to universities, often through generous gifts of donors.

Graduate student support is the second largest item in the School of Humanities and Sciences' (H&S's) operating budget, after faculty salaries. H&S strives to offer five years of Ph.D. support, which includes expectations for teaching and research assistance. Although limited fellowship funds are available through the Abbasi Islamic Studies Program, most fellowships are awarded by the department through which the Ph.D. student applies to the program. Donors have an opportunity to name a fellowship, which would provide support for advanced study to a succession of our most promising doctoral students. Each fellowship recipient would receive funding for four to five years of advanced study toward completion of the degree.

Professorships
An endowed professorship is the highest academic honor that the university can bestow upon a member of its faculty. The holders of Stanford’s approximately 400 endowed professorships represent the most distinguished scholars in the university, and the donors of endowed professorships are among the university’s most generous and far-sighted benefactors. Endowing a professorship includes an opportunity to name the endowed chair and enables Stanford to expand its course offerings.

Visiting Professorships
Complementing the teaching of the Stanford faculty, scholars and professionals are recruited to teach Stanford students. Endowed funds support these visiting professors and the costs associated with their coursework, ensuring a wide range of rich offerings for students.

Matching Funds
Through the extraordinary gift of $400 million from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences is able to offer matching funds. Hewlett Challenge matching funds are available for gifts of endowment to the School of Humanities and Sciences. Matching begins at $250,000 on a $1-for-$2 basis. For example, a commitment of $250,000 will earn matching funds of $125,000. At $1 million and above, the matching ratio jumps to $1-for-$1, so that a commitment of $1 million earns a full $1 million in matching funds, up to a maximum match of $5 million.

To make a gift or for more information, contact Shahzad Bashir at sbashir@stanford.edu or (650) 736-8488