The Edward Frederick Sorin Society
A Tradition of Giving
Established in 1976, the Edward Frederick Sorin Society is Notre Dame's largest and most dependable source of unrestricted funding.
This past year, members of the Sorin Society contributed an astounding $21,124,397 in unrestricted funds; the Sorin Society received an additional $1,664,808 in corporate matching gifts, for a grand total of $22,789,205! To our 12,000 Sorin Society members – and the corporations who match their gifts – thank you for giving us the flexibility to fund our most pressing needs.
Sorin Society Support is Crucial
Your membership in the Sorin Society supports things like:
- Financial aid. Notre Dame now meets the full demonstrated need of all admitted students.
- Academic and student life programs, like CSC service projects and Theology on Tap.
- The care and preservation of campus, including dorm repairs and routine maintenance.
- Strategic initiatives, like the Notre Dame Forum and the Eco Fund.
Become a Member
Choose the membership that’s right for you:
- Traditional: an annual unrestricted donation of $1,500 or more.
- Founder’s Circle: an annual unrestricted donation of $5,000 or more.
- Legacy: an annual unrestricted donation of $10,000 or more.
Membership Benefits
All members of the Sorin Society receive:
- A memento emblematic of your membership.
- University communications, such as the President’s Newsletter and Notre Dame Magazine, for those not currently receiving them.
- Personalized membership card entitling bearer to discounts at select on-campus dining venues, including Sorin’s, Leahy’s, and Legends, and a 20 percent discount on purchases at the Warren Golf Course Pro Shop (excludes golf lessons).
- Opportunities to attend special Sorin Society events.
- “Special contributor status” in the football ticket lottery, with improved chances for success in obtaining tickets to multiple home games.
On top of all that, Founder’s Circle and Legacy members receive additional benefits.
Every gift matters. Join the Sorin Society today.
Questions? Please contact:
An Easter Message from Father Hesburgh
The Legacy of Father Sorin
The rich history of Notre Dame began with the vision of one man: Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., who founded the University in 1842.
His first visionary act was to name it: here was a crude log cabin on a snowy hillside above a frozen lake. Standing nearby were a young French priest and six Holy Cross brothers with about $300 in cash and a wagonload of meager possessions. Their one great asset—and our priceless heritage—was Fr. Sorin’s vision. In his own language he named this clearing in the northern Indiana wilderness, L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac—the University of Our Lady of the Lake.
Unafraid to dream big dreams, Fr. Sorin saw in that cabin on the hillside what a place committed to staunch academic inquiry and guided by the imperatives of faith could aspire to be. Today, members of the Sorin Society follow in the footsteps of Fr. Sorin, becoming partners with the University in upholding his vision and fulfilling the great promise of the University of Notre Dame.
The Edward Frederick Sorin Society Chair
Members of the Sorin Society made possible the endowment of the Edward Frederick Sorin Society Chair. Management professor Ed Conlon holds the Sorin Chair, which he says allows him the freedom and resources he needs to pursue the kinds of innovative research and academic projects that make a lasting mark in the academy. To wit: the problem-solving textbook he co-authored for MBA students with Notre Dame Professor Viva Bartkus, the first of its kind.
Share Your Sorin Feedback
Year-end Giving and the Football Lottery
Ed Charbonnet ('71) never expected to share so much of his ND experience in common with his daughter, Clare. But he's grateful for every minute of it. 