For 48 hours, UAB’s alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends and families come together to support the programs and people who make the university exceptional. Donate and support programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and make an impact throughout the community.
UAB Giving Days is an annual, university‑wide celebration of generosity, impact and Blazer pride. For 48 hours, the entire UAB community — alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends and families — comes together to support the programs and people who make the university exceptional.
“UAB Giving Days is more than a fundraiser; it’s a campus-wide celebration of generosity, connection and the collective power of Blazers coming together,” said Clay Shannon, director of Annual Giving for UAB.
Giving Days offers many ways to be a meaningful part of the UAB community. On Thursday, April 2, and Friday, April 3, Blazers everywhere are invited to give to the areas that matter most to them, from support for students through life’s hardest challenges to programs that teach future providers and provide community help locally and globally. Read more about the featured programs and donate. Visit go.uab.edu/givingdays.
Real Impact: On Halloween morning 2025, Jason Sowell woke up, donned his scrubs, grabbed his school bag and headed out the door. Sowell was unaware that, by the end of the day, his home and everything he owned would be destroyed. For a nursing student in his final semester, it could have derailed all his hard work. Instead, Sowell was able to graduate. Read more.
UAB School of Nursing Emergency Fund
Unexpected crises can derail even the most dedicated students. The UAB School of Nursing Emergency Fund, a crucial safety net, helps them stay enrolled and on track to graduate by providing rapid, short-term assistance when life takes an unforeseen turn.
UAB Civitan-Sparks Dental Clinic
For many children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, dental visits can be overwhelming and make routine care difficult, or even impossible, at traditional dental offices. The UAB Civitan-Sparks Dental Clinic is the only clinic in the state dedicated exclusively to dental care for patients with autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other conditions. Demand for care far exceeds current capacity, and families often wait months for appointments.
UAB Medical Student Assistance Fund
Established in 2010, the fund provides swift, confidential support to students in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine who are experiencing urgent financial need. Its purpose is simple: to prevent a temporary setback from derailing a student’s long‑term dream of becoming a physician.
This student-run clinic brings compassionate, high‑quality care to uninsured and underserved neighbors across Birmingham. Medical students work side by side with attending and resident physicians, gaining practical skills while helping patients manage chronic conditions, access needed medications and rebuild trust in health care.
UAB Bridge to Business Transfer Program
A no-cost, voluntary program for Alabama community college students that helps ensure a smooth transition from earning an associate degree to pursuing a bachelor’s degree from the UAB Collat School of Business.
National Conference for Undergraduate Research
Every year, the UAB Honors College brings a delegation of more than 50 students to the conference. For many, this is their first opportunity to present their own research to such a large audience. This fund supports the cost for travel and lodging for the trip, which can be up to $1,200 per student.
Started in 2020, the garden produces 20 to 30 pounds of fresh vegetables each week from 10 raised beds, and a future greenhouse could increase yields even further. A “living classroom,” the garden helps address food insecurity and cultivates hands‑on learning experiences that connect the campus and broader Birmingham community.
The UAB College of Arts and Sciences provides financial assistance to students toward the cost of course materials, empowering students to focus on academic excellence and establish a firm foundation for launching the next chapter of their lives.
For more than 30 years, the UAB Marching Blazers, aka the “Sound of The Magic City,” have energized football games, campus events, parades and community celebrations as the university’s musical ambassadors. Their excellence is built on discipline, dedication and long hours of rehearsal. Donor support now plays a crucial role in sustaining the band’s traditions, helping fund travel, equipment, instruments and opportunities that scholarships alone cannot cover.
Dr. Susan K. Spezzini Endowed Scholarship for English as a Second Language Education
The scholarship will specifically focus on assisting students who are the first in their families to pursue a college degree and those who are navigating significant financial, economic or educational challenges. Spezzini made the first gift to this scholarship fund, but a minimum of $25,000 is needed to formally establish the scholarship.
UAB Department of Occupational Therapy Study Abroad Program
The program gives students the opportunity to work in Cape Town, South Africa, and surrounding communities. These experiences deepen students’ understanding of global health, sharpen their clinical reasoning and build genuine cultural humility. Cost for the trip is typically $5,000 per student, including international travel, lodging and program fees.
The James L. Raper Endowed Faculty Scholar in Nursing
Raper, a 1994 School of Nursing graduate, devoted more than four decades to shaping HIV care, nursing education and advanced practice leadership at the UAB School of Nursing. The fund honors this legacy by supporting faculty who advance education, scholarship and impactful care for future generations.
An optional program from the UAB Collat School of Business that provides support and resources as students prepare for their first semester.
UAB School of Optometry’s Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity
Bringing vision screenings, full eye exams and prescription lenses to those in need. As students serve at local events and clinics, they also earn points toward selection and financial assistance for an international service opportunity. The 2026 trip is planned for August to rural Kuna Nega, Panama, to provide full eye exams and glasses.
Community Research Assistant Training Program
This program of the UAB Center for the Study of Community Health trains community members and employs them as community research assistants in ongoing studies.
Strengthening a toddler’s or preschooler’s vocabulary can give them a significant advantage in school, while delays in early childhood language skills — typically exacerbated by environmental factors — can have negative impacts well into adulthood. Vocabby’s World makes learning fun for kids across Birmingham, growing their vocabularies through educational adventures in art and science.
For many UAB students, acquiring professional clothing can be a significant challenge because of financial limitations. The UAB Career Closet instills confidence by helping them obtain professional attire.
UAB Engineering Summer Bridge Program
The United States faces a major engineering talent gap, with 400,000 annual openings but only two‑thirds as many graduates, and just 13 percent of interested high schoolers completing engineering degrees. The UAB School of Engineering’s summer bridge program strengthens preparation through intensive, adaptive math instruction, college‑readiness sessions, hands‑on engineering activities and social support.
Preparing Birmingham’s future health care leaders by bringing hands‑on, high‑impact learning directly to local middle school students. The initiative introduces young scholars in 15 Birmingham-area middle schools to the possibilities within science, technology, engineering and math.
From textbook and technology loans to research help and job opportunities, UAB Libraries is a dedicated partner for student success. In the past three years, students completed more than 5,500 3D printing projects and visited emerging technology labs nearly 55,000 times. Support will help ensure that the extensive resources of UAB Libraries remain strong in supporting student success for this generation and the next.
Global Health Travel Awards Program
International travel, research costs and conference fees can prevent students, trainees, faculty and global partners from participating in collaborative global health work. This new initiative is designed to eliminate financial barriers and supports both UAB scholars traveling abroad and international collaborators visiting Birmingham.
Since 2022, the Blazer Made initiative has been equipping UAB’s student-athletes with the life skills they need to thrive on and off the field. Thoughtfully designed to progress year by year with each student-athlete, Blazer Made challenges participants to grow as leaders, to serve others and achieve their full potential.