What is Goodwill Sponsor program?
Goodwill Sponsor program is organized by USTCAF to support USTC students in financial difficulty. Each student will have his/her own Goodwill Sponsor. A sponsor can support one or multiple students at the same time. A sponsor can be a person or a class fund or any other funds. Each sponsor will have his/her own Goodwill subfund. Your donations and award transactions are all published online at USTCAF website for public review.
How much do I need to donate?
With higher RMB/US$ exchange rate and climbing living expense in China, a sponsor needs to donate 4500 RMB (or $710 with current exchange rate) every year to support one student. You need to support entire four years in USTC. So the total is about $2840. You don't need to donate all the money at one time. Some companies have donation match program. That helps too. Please check with your HR policy.
I like to help, but I cannot make 4-year commitment. Can I still help?
Yes, you sure do. There are different ways you can help. We encourage alumni to set up a class fund such that you and your classmates can share the responsibility by sponsoring student(s) jointly. And you will act as the point of contact for the subfund.
Another option is you can donate to Goodwill general fund. Some students, if they cannot find sponsors, will be supported from the general fund.
There is no minimum limit on how much you donate to general fund or class fund.
How do I donate with US $$?
We accept multiple donation methods: check, paypal, major credit cards etc. Here are the steps:
- Go to http://www.ustcaf.org/donate-now
- Click link to the pledge form
- Complete the online pledge form. At the step 2, Select USD as Currency, enter amount you like to donate, select your own subfund from Fund list. If you don't have a fund and want to make a contribution, you can just use the default USTCAF General Fund.
- After you complete the pledge form, follow the instruction on the next page for your donation.
- When you make your donation, e.g. writing a check, please make sure to write your subfund on it.
How do I donate with RMB?
If you like make RMB donation, please fill the online pledge form as well. This will tell us to expect your donation coming. The real donation process will be handled by our partner USTC IF in China.
- Go to http://www.ustcaf.org/donate-now
- Click link to the pledge form
- Complete the online pledge form. At the step 2, Select RMB as Currency, enter RMB amount you like to donate, select your own subfund from Fund list. If you don't have a fund and want to make a contribution, you can just use the default USTCAF General Fund.
- After you complete the pledge form, follow the instruction on the next page to the USTCIF website (http://www.ustcif.org/default.php/content/974/) to complete your donation.
- When you make donation on USTCIF site, please put a note telling them this is for your USTCAF GW fund. For example, if your fund name is GWzzz, then put USTCAF GWzzz there. If you don't have your own subfund, you can just refer to USTCAF Goodwill.
- After making donation, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. about your RMB donation. Again tell them this is for your USTCAF GWzzz fund.
Can I donate anonymously?
Yes, we will create an anonymous fund for you. Your name and other information will not be published. All the other donation procedures remain the same, you just need to refer to your anonymous fund everytime you make a donation.
I am in China, can I donate RMB from China?
Yes, we accept RMB donation from China as well. You use the same online donation form from USTCAF and select RMB donation option. At the second step, you will see a link to complete your donation. More information can be found at the donation page.
How long do I need to support a student?
Right now Goodwill Sponsor is a 4-year commitment. You need to support the student for four years.
I see students already received their first year award, why do I still need to support for four years?
Every year new students enter USTC in Sept. The Goodwill students submit their applications to USTC and approved by USTCAF. Around Dec. they receive their first Goodwill award, which is paid from AF Goodwill general fund. Normally in the next Spring USTCAF starts the campaign to solicit 1-1 sponsors for those students. The 4-year commitment ensures general Goodwill fund getting recharged. It is like the first year award is prepaid by AF from your subfund.
Can I use the same subfund for multiple students?
Yes. The same subfund can be used to support multiple students.
How do I become a Goodwill Sponsor?
Please pick up a student you want to support, send an email to Goodwill manager Yongtian Zhang (zhangyt @ hotmail.com) with your information (name, class and email) plus the student name. You will then receive your own subfund. For more information, please visit Become a Goodwill Sponsor page.
Do I receive reminder for my yearly donation due?
We will send you a reminder email every year to remind you to check your subfund status.
Can I contact student?
We encourage our sponsors to contact their students. This is a great opportunity for them to receive valuable advices and additional help for their career development and life enrichement. We ask students if they want to be contacted by their sponsors (you can find this information on their application form). Most of them do. If student says yes, then you can contact the student. Please contact Yongtian Zhang (zhangyt @ hotmail.com) for student contact information. Some students chose not to be contacted, please respect their decision.
How do I initiate communication with the student?
The best way to approach the student you support is to send him/her an introduction email. Please understand some students may be sensitive when they face direct communication with their sponsors. If you concern the student may feel uncomfortable to receive email directly from you, USTCAF will be happy to send the introdcution email so the student is more prepared for the communication. Please contact Yongtian Zhang (zhangyt @ hotmail.com) if you like us to start the communication.
Do I receive update regarding the student?
This is an area AF will be working with USTC for improvement. Every year USTC performs screening before these student receive their award. We will ask USTC for more updates from the students.
How do I make donations?
Please go to the donation page and follow the instructions. Make sure you refer to your subfund on the donation form. Write the subfund name on your donation check too. This will make sure your donation is dedicated to your subfund.
How soon will my donation show up online?
You will receive a donation receipt via email when we receive your donation. The receipt can be used for tax deduction purpose. The records are updated once a month. So you may need to wait to next month to see your donation record. Company match normally comes even later - sometimes it may take several months for matchs really being sent and received.