WAA, WARF and the Foundation

WAA was established in 1861 to connect UW-Madison alumni to the university and each other. Today, many of the 330,000 alumni living around the world are connected through lifelong learning programs, student scholarships, alumni travel opportunities, career services, and a network of affiliate groups and regional chapters. WAA is an independently financed, nonprofit alumni organization funded by dues-paying members from all parts of Wisconsin and around the world.

Founded in 1925, WARF serves UW-Madison's scientific community by patenting the discoveries of UW-Madison researchers and licensing technologies to leading companies worldwide. The Graduate School refers to WARF's annual gifts of over $30 million as its "margin of excellence" funding, since the money can be used to support important research when other funding sources are not available.

The UW Foundation, created in 1945, is the official fund-raising and gift-receiving organization for UW-Madison and other donor-designated units of the UW System. For 60 years, the UW Foundation has engaged those who care about the University by providing opportunities to enhance its teaching, research and outreach programs, and has guaranteed ethical stewardship of the gifts it has received. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, total gifts received by the Foundation since 1945 now stand at more than $1.76 billion.