What is the Graduating Class Gift?
Participate in the class gift to honor the Class of 2026’s shared experiences and legacy at Tulane Law School. Participation is more important than how much you give, so please consider a gift in any amount. The last day to give to the campaign is May 11, 2026.
Why Your Gift Matters
The Tulane experience is unlike any other. As a Tulane Law School student, you have the opportunity to study with outstanding professors, engage in meaningful volunteer work and take advantage of cultural experiences unique to New Orleans. From experiential learning programs to innovative projects in state-of-the-art facilities, a Tulane education prepares you for a lifetime of success.
But did you know these opportunities would not be possible without the support of Tulane donors? Donors help fund the university's most urgent needs as well as the experiences that make your time at Tulane Law School so memorable. Gifts from alumni, parents, faculty, staff and students bring campus to life each day.
Your gift helps Tulane Law School dream big and think bigger. The Graduating Class Gift celebrates the collective impact of giving, and gifts of any size make a difference. Not only will your gift help support scholarships, student services and other priorities, it will also give you the opportunity to honor those who have helped make your Tulane experience unforgettable.
What Your Gift Will Support
You choose what designation means the most to you. All gifts to the following funds will count toward our class gift participation.
Gifts to the Tulane Law Fund allow Tulane Law leaders to fund the most pressing needs and opportunities across the law school. Donations to this area give Dean Burke the most flexibility to support the greatest needs of the Law School.
Scholarships help Tulane Law continue to attract and retain the best and brightest students. They also help recruit students who would not otherwise be able to attend Tulane.
Gifts to this fund help sustain and expand programs that provide hands-on learning opportunities for law students. Support for skills training programs helps prepare students for successful legal careers through experiential learning opportunities.
Make your Graduating Class Gift!
In honor of the Tulane Law School Class of 2026, participate by making a gift of $20.26 or more. Your gift helps Tulane Law School dream big and think bigger. The Graduating Class Gift celebrates the collective impact of giving, and gifts of any size make a difference.
Not only will your gift help support scholarships, student services and other law school priorities, it will also give you the opportunity to honor those who have made your Tulane experience the experience of a lifetime.
Top 5 Reasons to Give to the Graduating Class Gift
- Express your Tulane pride — Your participation is an investment in the community you love.
- Pay it forward — Just as gifts from Tulane Law School alumni contributed to your education, your gift helps ensure future students have an equally meaningful Tulane experience.
- You choose — Support the area of Tulane Law School that is most meaningful to you.
- Increase the value of your degree — Your gift helps Tulane Law School foster a culture of annual giving that strengthens the school's visibility and supports future generations of lawyers. Start your tradition of giving today.
- Break a record — Help your class make history by achieving the highest participation rate yet.
Every Gift Matters!
- When 10 people give $30 — that's $300 that could fund lunch for students attending panel discussions designed to provide educational and networking opportunities.
- When 7 people give $50 — that's $350 that could help cover a law student's travel to an out-of-state job fair, providing access to summer internship and postgraduate employment opportunities.
- When 25 people give $100 — that's $2,500 that could fund a summer grant for a law student working in an unpaid public-interest position, providing valuable work experience while expanding access to legal services for those in need.
- When 2 people give $250 — that's $500 that could support a moot court competition designed to strengthen oral advocacy skills.
- When 5 people give $500 — that's $2,500 that could help fund a program designed to build deposition and motion-practice skills.
Busting “Tulane Law School Doesn’t Need My Donation” and Other Myths
Reality: The law school's tuition revenue does not cover the full expense of delivering a Tulane education; therefore, funding must come from other sources. Gifts to the Tulane Law Fund help cover some of the costs that remain beyond tuition and endowment payouts. The Tulane Law Fund contributes thousands of dollars toward scholarships, helping bridge the gap between tuition, endowment earnings and financial need.
Tulane Law School honors donor intent and is committed to the responsible stewardship of gifts. Staff members are dedicated to ensuring that gifts are used as donors have specified.
Many alumni give to the Tulane Law Fund (Area of Greatest Need), the law school's most flexible fund. It allows law school leaders to address the most pressing needs and opportunities across the institution. Others choose to designate their gifts to the Scholarship Fund, which provides support to deserving students, or the Student Skills Training Fund, which sustains and expands experiential learning programs. All gifts to Tulane Law School support students while increasing the value of your degree. Tulane's sustained excellence would not be possible without donors like you.
Reality: Compared to its peer and aspirational institutions, Tulane has a relatively small endowment. This translates to fewer endowment dollars per student than many peer institutions. Endowment earnings cover less than 10% of Tulane's annual operating budget.
Think of it like a household budget. On one hand, you set aside money that you hope will grow for long-term needs such as savings, education and retirement. On the other hand, you spend money on necessities such as rent, food and utilities. For Tulane Law School, it is much the same. The law school needs resources to invest in future growth, which often come from the endowment or larger gifts. It also needs resources to support current operations, which often come from annual giving.
While the endowment is extremely important to Tulane's long-term health, gifts to unrestricted current-use funds such as the Tulane Law Fund play a major role in sustaining the Tulane experience.
Annual fund gifts can be used immediately, without the restrictions associated with endowed funds. Through these gifts, the Tulane Law Fund supports scholarships, career development services, student skills training and much more. Given its relatively small endowment, Tulane relies heavily on current-use annual fund donations.
Reality: Every gift to Tulane Law School makes a difference. When pooled together, gifts of less than $100 totaled more than $11,000 last year, and gifts of less than $500 totaled nearly $100,000. These contributions make a significant impact through scholarships, program support and other initiatives. Participating in philanthropy at any level demonstrates your Tulane pride and commitment to the university. It also strengthens alumni participation rates.
Reality: Participation is an important part of giving. Scholarship support comes directly from donors like you. Many alumni understand the burden of student loans, and gifts to scholarships help ease that burden for future students.
Join the Graduating Class Gift Committee
The Graduating Class Gift Committee is made up of dynamic Tulane Law School student leaders. These dedicated supporters encourage class participation and help plan ways to celebrate the Class of 2026's collective impact.
To join, speak with a Graduating Class Gift Committee member or email lawgradgift@tulane.edu.
Committee
Daevon Adams
Isil Beyza Bala
Navya K. Kolli
Laura Gil Pla
Cami Pyne
Frank Saldaña
Christine Sharkey
Paul Simon
Chandler D. Thornton
Megan Waterston