Mission and goals

The Charles University Endowment Fund (CU EF) supports excellence, resilience and solidarity within the academic environment. Our activities aim towards making Charles University, on the one hand, a prestigious centre of education and science, and at the same time a place where students and academic staff can find support in both their personal and their professional lives.

Our goal is to provide financial support for talented students, fledgling researchers and academic staff to allow them to develop their potential, participate in prestigious international conferences and also carry out innovative research. We support activities that contribute towards the top level of teaching and research at Charles University.

The University is not only a place for study and research – it is also a community of people who share the values of education, cooperation and mutual assistance. The Endowment Fund supports activities that strengthen community spirit and build bridges between students, academic staff and graduates of Charles University.

One of the current pillars of our goals is supporting psychological resilience. The Endowment Fund therefore finances projects that focus on the well-being of students and academics, mental health, crisis intervention and programmes that help participants to cope with the stress and challenges of the world of today. Our goal is to create an environment in which everyone can feel stable and receive adequate support to help them grow.

Structure and management

The managing bodies of the CU EF are the Board of Directors and the Supervisory Board. The Board of Directors currently has five members. It approves proposals for new grant projects and makes decisions on the allocation of contributions. The supervisory body of the CU EF is the Supervisory Board. Its three members are members of the University’s Academic Senate and management and is governed by the foundation deed of the CU EF. The operations of the Endowment Fund are overseen by a team led by the director, Tomáš Vokáč.

Open subsidiary funds

The CU Endowment Fund currently operates three subsidiary funds. These are:

the Resilience Fund, the Dr. Lenka Hlávková Memorial Fund and the Dr. Jan Dlask memorial Fund.

• The

  Resilience Fund focuses on supporting the resilience, solidarity and psychological well-being of students, academics and staff of the University.

• The

  Dr. Lenka Hlávková Memorial Fund provides support for students of music and students who are faced with tragic events in their family.​

• The

  Dr. Jan Dlask Memorial Fund supports the academic development of students of Finnish Studies and Scandinavian Studies at the CU Faculty of Arts and the development of those fields in the Czech Republic.

How you can support us

The Endowment Fund welcomes financial support from individuals, companies and institutions. Donations can be made via transparent bank accounts or through the Darujme (‘Let’s Donate’) system, which facilitates the easy, secure making of donations by credit card or Google Pay. All information can be found in the I want to contribute section. We value and thank you for any donation you can make.

Foundation and history

The Charles University Endowment Fund was founded at the end of 2020 with the vision of strengthening the financial basis for the University’s key activities. Since its creation it has actively contributed to the development of the academic environment and supports projects that contribute to excellence in education and research, which it does this via grant calls.

A list of currently open and closed calls can be found on the Fund’s website here.

Through its calls it has so far supported 36 projects worth a total 1,247,110 CZK that focus on talented students, students affected by the war in Ukraine and support for students during the pandemic.

At the end of 2023 the Collection to help those affected by the tragedy at the CU Faculty of Arts in December. Thanks to the generosity of donors, more than 88 million crowns was collected. The Endowment Fund is dividing this amount between three groups of recipients of assistance. The final phase of the project is currently underway.

Collection to help those affected by the tragedy at the CU Faculty of Arts in December

More than a year has passed since the tragic attack at the Charles University Faculty of Arts.

The tragic event, during which 12 students, 1 female employee and 1 male employee lost their lives, and a further 25 people were wounded, provoked a massive wave of solidarity in Czech society. Thanks to the generosity of donors and timed deposits, an amount of 88.1 million crowns was gathered during the project. This is being used to help alleviate the consequences of the tragic situation. We sincerely thank all donors who supported the collection for their generosity and solidarity.

The collection was initiated on 21 December 2023 and all allocated financial donations are listed on transparent bank account 556677359/0800. The following groups are receiving financial support:

• Victims’ families

The first phase of the collection focused on providing assistance with funeral costs. In the second phase we provided financial support to the parents of the victims. In the third phase, which is currently underway, we are providing support for relatives and loved ones of the victims based on decisions by the parent or parents. A total of 50.9 million crowns will be distributed among the bereaved.

• Wounded persons

Persons wounded in the attack are receiving financial support in three phases to take account of the state of health of individuals over time. The needs of individuals are determined through a structured interview, followed by a written report about specific needs. Irrespective of whether a wounded person utilises all three phases of support, or only one, every justified need receives the same amount. Approximately 33.9 million crowns out of the total amount will be paid to wounded persons.

• Persons affected – group support

In addition to the bereaved and wounded, we also provide support for affected persons in the form of support groups, which are open to all students and employees of Charles University and the CU Faculty of Arts. These support groups are also open to other persons who were directly affected. We expect to pay out an amount of approximately 3.7 million crowns for psychological support.

The third phase of the provision of support to target groups is currently being concluded.

Projects supported

Calls by the Endowment Fund have so far resulted in support for 36 projects to a total amount of 1,247,110 CZK. These projects have covered a broad spectrum of fields, from educational activities to assistance in challenging life situations. The Fund has, for example, supported talented secondary school pupils in the development of their skills and knowledge. A further vital component of support has been the assistance provided to Ukrainian students, who the Fund has helped to overcome the hurdles associated with life in a new environment. During the pandemic the Fund became involved in providing assistance to students facing challenges in education and mental health. Through these, the Endowment Fund actively contributes to the development of the younger generation and the overcoming of hurdles that may otherwise hinder their success. Every project reflects a strong commitment to the support of education, equality and innovation. Together, we are creating opportunities for those who have the talent and dedication to change the world for the better. Be it individual achievements or joint initiatives, every project that receives support represents a step forward.