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Promoting social change and inspiring the next generation of leaders with research.
The UCI Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation believes in bringing together the expertise and exceptional research abilities found at this world-class university with the passion and energy of the students who form the leaders of tomorrow. We collaborate across disciplines with students, faculty and practitioners to rigorously explore systemic, geopolitical, technological and climate forces affecting poverty.
What does that mean in practice? Each of our core areas of expertise includes collaborative and innovative research, as well as programs designed to educate and inspire undergraduate and graduate students.
A gift to the Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation at UC Irvine helps fund innovative education programs, basic and applied research, and work in community development and policy-making; engage future leaders to reduce the risks of poverty for vulnerable populations; and find solutions to the grand challenges facing humanity and its institutions.
All donations are directed to the UCI Blum Center, but by using the appropriate donation button below, your generous gift will be earmarked for that specific program.
Empowering students to take action to address 21st century challenges through Small Change, Better World projects
Small Change, Better World provides seed grants for one-time, limited scope projects that address a specific need. Funded projects must require less than $3,000 and be achievable within a short period of time, such as a quarter or semester.
Thanks to donor support, the Blum Center has awarded $75,000 in micro-grants to date, supporting the efforts of 39 students reaching over 6,000 community members, patients, and students.
Cultivating compassion, global citizenship, and student transformation through the Global Service Scholars Program
The Global Service scholars program is a partnership between the School of Social Ecology, the UCI Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation and the Living Peace Foundation. It is rooted in compassion, and pairs rigorous academic preparation with an international service-learning trip during which Scholars learn to put that compassion to practical use
Donor support is crucial to making this program accessible to a wide variety of students. In 2019, 34 students were assigned to one of four global sites.
Developing a tool to reduce trafficking vulnerabilities through the center’s Human Trafficking research project
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a moment of intensified vulnerability among at-risk youth and increased the prevalence of human trafficking worldwide. The research addresses this risk through the adaptation of a diagnostic tool to assess vulnerability, a landscape analysis that identifies gaps in services, and an economic analysis that illuminates the human and economic cost of human trafficking.
Support from United Way and other donors helped fund Phase I of the research project to develop an assessment tool and map the resource landscape of Orange County in partnership with the Orangewood Youth Services.
Support our Work
Generous support from donors allows us to continue offering transformative student experiences, develop innovative research initiatives, and help prepare the leaders of the future.
Your gift to the Blum Center’s general funds allows us to allocate support where it is most needed.