Matched Giving FAQs

What is matched funding?

Matched funding is a commitment by the Western Sydney University to match any donation, dollar for dollar, made by staff to the University. 

Matched funds will be committed to supporting the priorities of the University, as designated by Office of Advancement & Alumni on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor.

Dollar for dollar matched funding will be automatically applied to the same cause for all staff gifts contributed through Staff Giving, our payroll giving program, supporting UWS causes (i.e. Community Scholarship, Refugee Student Scholarships and the Gough Whitlam Memorial Appeal).

For gifts from staff made outside payroll giving to support students, whether through scholarships, prizes or other programs, matching funds will be provided, however all matching will be allocated to support Community Scholarships, supporting Western Sydney University students in need.

Where a staff member contributes a gift of $10,000 or more per annum, matching will be considered for the same cause as the original donation. For example, if a staff member donates $10,000 for a named scholarship, an equivalent scholarship of matching value may be created, at the discretion of the Office of Advancement & Alumni and considering the needs of the University. Any new scholarship established through matched funding will be treated as a Category B donor-funded scholarship for the purpose of promotion to students.

Matched funding for gifts to support Western Sydney University research valued at under $10,000 will be matched, with matching funds allocated to support Higher Degree Research Scholarships. Gifts of $10,000 or more towards research may be matched and will be subject to approval by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) and the relevant head of the School or Institute, as outlined below.

A summary of this information is provided below.

Please note, except for gifts made through Staff Giving (payroll program), it is the responsibility of staff donors to notify the Office of Advancement and Alumni at the time of the gift that they are a staff member and their gift may therefore be eligible for matched funding. If the Office is not notified it may not be possible to implement the matched funding.

What is Staff Giving?

Staff Giving is a donation made by any staff member to Western Sydney University causes. This may be through a one-off gift for a specific purpose or a pledge to make a gift at a regular interval. It may be made through payroll and provides a simple, tax-effective way to make a difference to the work of the University. For more information on giving to the University, please visit Staff Giving. 

Why is Western Sydney University matching the funds donated by staff?

We are committed to building a culture of philanthropy. We want to be able to provide as many students as possible with opportunities to attend university and for future success. We are also proud of the excellent research undertaken by the University and would like to provide staff with the opportunity to support our institutes and individual academics in building our national and international reputation. 

Can I determine the allocation of my gift?

Through Staff Giving, our payroll giving program, staff can choose to make a gift to Community Scholarships, Refugee Student Scholarships, the Gough Whitlam Memorial Appeal or one of the nominated charity partners. The University will however only match gifts to Western Sydney University causes, not to external charity partners.

In addition to gifts through payroll giving, staff gifts to support other Western Sydney University causes may also be available for matching. These causes may include:

• prizes
• scholarships
• research; or
• infrastructure. 

For all staff gifts of under $10,000 per annum, matching funds will be allocated to support Community Scholarships or to support Higher Degree Research Scholarships, as outlined in the table above.

For gifts of $10,000 or more per annum, matching may be applied as above or considered for the same cause as the original donation.

To discuss the intention of your gift further, please contact the Advancement and Alumni Office on (02) 9685 9511. 

Can I give to research and will this donation be matched?

Western Sydney University does accept donations for research projects. Donations made to research projects by staff may be matched where the intended research is consistent with University research priorities and as approved by the head of the relevant School or Research Institute and the DVC (Research and Development).
Donations made to research undertaken by the donor or where the donor has a significant academic and/or personal interest in the nominated area of research will be subject to a due diligence process undertaken by the relevant head of School or Institute and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development).

Donations made to research undertaken by the donor or where the donor has a significant academic and/or personal interest in the nominated area of research will be subject to a due diligence process undertaken by the relevant head of School/Institute and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development).

If I create a pledge will the University match it?

A pledge is a commitment to make a gift for a number of years. Pledges to Western Sydney University will be eligible for matching when the donation is receipted, subject to these guidelines.

Are endowments matched by the University?

An endowment is created when a donor specifies that a gift is to be invested and only the income earned on that gift may be spent for a specific purpose. Endowments will be matched to the value of the donation as and when the donation is receipted. Matched funding will not apply on the interest earned over time.

What if my gift doesn't meet the criteria mentioned in the above FAQs?

The University is committed to building a culture of philanthropy and will do its best to accommodate any requests. For donations that may not fit within the matched gifts policy, the Office of Advancement and Alumni will seek advice from the relevant member of the Senior Executive. 

How can I make a donation?

You can make a donation online (opens in a new window), or through Staff Giving (our payroll giving program), or by contacting the staff at the Office of Advancement and Alumni on (02) 9685 9511 who will be able to direct you in the best way to make a gift.

Will my donation be confidential?

While the University appreciates the opportunity to recognise the support of all donors, you can choose to remain anonymous.

All donations to Staff Giving, our payroll giving program, are managed by the Office of People and Culture.

Will my one-off donation be matched by the University?

Yes, most one-off donations will be matched by the University, subject to these guidelines.

Is there a maximum or minimum gift the University will match?

To encourage staff gifts the University has committed to provide matched funding for staff gifts up to a total value of $1 million per annum.

Within this cap, Western Sydney University will match dollar for dollar all staff gifts through Staff Giving, our payroll giving program, supporting Western Sydney University causes.

For gifts made outside of Staff Giving, matched funding will be considered based on the amount and designation of the gift and in line with University priorities, subject to these guidelines.

Where does the matched funding come from?

The matched funding will be allocated each year from University contributed funds held in the Foundation Fund. No current or past donor funds will be used to provide matched funding.

Do I need to make my gift at a particular time of year to activate matched funding?

Matched funding will be allocated to the relevant beneficiaries twice annually, generally in January/February (for Q4) and in July/August (for Q2) each year. These timelines are particularly in line with scholarship awarding, with scholarships the primary beneficiary of matched funding, and to ensure that funds available are known in time to advertise and recruit new recipients.
 
Where there is an urgent need for matched funding outside of these timeframes, a request to this effect will be considered by the Office of Advancement & Alumni and in line with the University's financial processing guidelines and requirements.