Support us

Founded in the aftermath of the Enlightenment, Downing’s large, open space in the heart of Cambridge reflects our outward-facing philosophy and willingness to embrace new ideas. 

Downing does not benefit from a large endowment and it is for this reason that we seek philanthropic support to attract and educate the very best students and ensure their well-being; to secure College-based supervisions by endowing Fellowships; and to provide for the continual care and upkeep of our historic buildings.  Your gift will support these priorities or you can select a particular area of interest below. 

 “I would like to express my most sincere and heartfelt gratitude. It is an absolute privilege to live, work and study at Downing and Cambridge as a whole. I might not have been able to fulfil this dream of mine and would have had to disrupt the pursuit of my PhD studies had it not been for your support. Thank you very much.”  PhD student, Downing, 2019.

Thank you for your support.

Make a donation online

Please consider a gift today to help current students enjoy the same experience as previous generations at Downing and to strengthen the College for the coming year.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, the College has already incurred an unforeseen and potentially devastating financial loss of over £3 million due to lost conference, summer school, residential, property and catering income. In March 2020, the College moved quickly to prioritise the safety of its students and staff and continues to follow Government guidance on social distancing. No-one could have predicted a global pandemic and the subsequent impact on all of our lives.

We are asking our alumni community to consider supporting our emergency appeal for Downing to ensure our students enjoy a positive and memorable experience, despite the on-going and necessary social distancing measures.

The Master, Senior Bursar and Senior Tutor have identified student well-being as a key priority for 2020-2021. Your gift could ensure that the experience of Freshers in 2020 and all our students will be as positive as possible within the social distancing guidelines. Provision for student well-being includes additional counselling support for those who need it, help towards IT equipment to facilitate online learning, and the creation of outdoor socialising spaces, such as covered seating areas to bring our students together in a safe way.

If you choose to make a gift, it will help the College, remote teaching and our students during these difficult times and strengthen us for the future. 

The first £100,000 of gifts to the Covid-19 Emergency Appeal will qualify for a generous uplift from the Harding Fund (see below).

The Harding Challenge

New donors and those who have not made a gift since 31 July 2018 will qualify for a match through the Harding Challenge if their gift is directed to student support and well-being. The Harding Challenge has now also been opened up for ALL donations to the Covid-19 Emergency Appeal, regardless of past gifts from the donor. Your gift will help Downing students directly, whilst the match will help students in greatest need, including those at Downing, through the Cambridge Bursary Scheme. 

Thank you for considering a gift to help Downing students this year.