FAQ

What is the "Big Ideas @ Berkeley" Initiative?

This initiative provides funding, support, and encouragement to interdisciplinary teams of UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students who have "big ideas" (browse our current list of themes). We support these student-led initiatives with seed grants, in-kind contributions, connections, advice, assistance in marketing and communications, and university resources (e.g. allocation of teaching resources for new courses).

What types of student-led initiatives does Big Ideas support?

These initiatives take many forms, including clubs, projects, competitions, new courses, domestic and international field work, collaboration with non-profit and corporate partners, and greater student involvement in shaping and inspiring the next generation of research, education, and service activities.

Are donations to "Big Ideas" tax-deductible?

If you are in the United States, your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. A small portion of your donation is used to defray the costs of administering the funds. The University of California is a non-proft educational and research organization governed by the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The University's Federal Identification number for reporting and tax purposes is 94-6002123.

How many student-led initiatives is Big Ideas currently supporting?

We are currently supporting over 40 student-led initiatives. We continue to receive many more high-quality proposals than we can support, and many of the projects that we are supporting require and deserve additional resources.

What are your long-term goals?

Our long term goals are to:

• Support a critical mass of high-quality, high-impact student-led initiatives on the UC Berkeley campus.

• Help the best ideas make the transition from small-scale student projects to much larger activities on the campus.

• Make this an important part of the Berkeley culture by encouraging other research centers and institutes to adopt this model.

• Encourage adoption and dissemination of this model to other universities.

In what ways can I support Big Ideas?

You can support us in the following ways:

• provide additional resources (cash or in-kind donations) for the 40+ student-led initiatives we are currently supporting

• provide seed funding for high-quality initiatives that we believe are meritorious but do not have the resources to support

• provide core funding for Big Ideas

• sponsor a contest in next year's "Bears Breaking Boundaries" competition

What is your vetting process?

Before a student-led initiative is listed on the marketplace, we review it for a clear mission statement, a solid plan for implementation, potential impact, and accomplishments to date. We also strongly encourage student teams to identify a faculty mentor.

How do you track the progress of the projects that you support?

We require students to provide an updated progress report at least every semester that will be accessible to individual supporters.

How do I make a financial donation?

If you would like to make a donation to a specific initiative, the Big Ideas general fund, or a future Bears Breaking Boundaries contest, you will be taken to GiveToCal's online giving form. Please fill out the required information, and your funds will be properly allocated. You will receive 2 emails, one from GiveToCal, and one from Big Ideas, which will provide you with a password to access a progress report if you have chosen to fund a specific initiative.

How do I make an in-kind contribution?

Please click on the "Give to this project" button on the Overview tab of the project description. Then, fill out the "Make an In-Kind Donation" form to specify the product or service you'd like to offer. This information will be emailed to Big Ideas, and we will respond to your message as soon as possible.

How do I share this with others?

There are several ways in which you can assist us with our marketing. You can either choose to "Tell a Friend" about an initiative or "Create a ChipIn" to invite your friends and family to "chip in" financially to an initiative.

May I contact a student group directly before I make a donation?

Feel free to email the team directly if they have provided an email address.

How has this initiative been funded?

Initial funding was provided by the Omidyar Network, established by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Additional supporters include the venture capital firm Sevin Rosen, Sun Microsystems, Fulcrum Fund, College of Engineering, Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, Boalt School of Law, the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and the Vice Chancellor for Research. Also see the "Our Sponsors" section.