Parent Giving is a group of University of Utah parents who donate their time and money to support students at the U.
The group organizes events, fundraising and volunteer efforts to build community among parents, students and the campus as a whole.
Why Parent Giving?
Amber Maughan, associate director of Parent Giving, said the organization helps parents stay engaged with their students’ college experience.
“We want parents to feel like, as the student is going through college and they’re learning how to adult with all these new changes, that the parents can still support them,” Maughan said.
Maughan explained that Parent Giving grew out of the Parent Fund, a pool of donations from University of Utah parents that supports student affairs, undergraduate studies and college initiatives.
“It’s really fun to work with parents who are passionate about education and want to remove obstacles that other students might be facing,” Maughan said. “We [originally] focused on Parent Fund but realized that parents can become passionate about something on campus as their kid experiences more. That’s how we expanded to Parent Giving.”
Parents who regularly participate through Crimson Parents — a group of engaged Parent Giving donors — receive additional benefits and incentives in recognition of their support.
Community building
Parent Giving also gives parents the chance to connect and build community with other U families.
Al Zelinka, a parent from Orange County who has donated to the Parent Fund since his son committed to the university, said he and his wife, Anna, have found a strong sense of connection through the program.
“Our son is so passionate about Utah that Anna and I immediately felt compelled to get involved in the university,” Zelinka said. “We’ve donated every semester to the Parent Fund and have coordinated or helped coordinate three parent gatherings here in Orange County.”
His involvement reflects part of Parent Giving’s mission, which is to “foster a collaborative community of parents dedicated to enriching the educational experience and overall well-being of our students,” according to the group’s website. Parents like Zelinka said they value the opportunity to make a positive impact on both their children and the university.
“We feel like we matter as parents, and to us, that means something,” Zelinka said. “The sense of community that comes with being a Utah parent has been more than we could’ve ever expected.”
Next steps
Maughan said Parent Giving is focused on expanding involvement as it heads into the fall 2025 semester.
“We’re trying to find the parents that want to be involved,” Maughan said. “The parents are a wealth of knowledge. I’m meeting with a dad about how he would love to teach kids about investing one-on-one.”
This fall, Parent Giving will host a series of events designed to bring Crimson Parent Society members together.
“You don’t have to just drop your kid off at college and then be done,” Maughan said. “There are more opportunities for you.”
