Berg, Zhao Center HUA Co-Presidency Campaign on $2.1M Fundraising Plan for Student Groups

Zachary “Zach” Berg ’28 and Daniel Zhao ’28 want to “recenter students” by launching an ambitious plan to raise $2.1 million to support student organizations funded by the Harvard Undergraduate Association.

The centerpiece of their campaign for the HUA co-presidency is a pledge to triple the student government’s club funding budget through a combination of the recently expanded Student Activities Fee, a direct alumni gift account, and independent fundraising.

“We want to make sure that the HUA itself has autonomy to fundraise independent from the administration,” Berg said.

The pair pointed to this year’s inaugural Housing Day challenge — in which alumni donated directly to Harvard’s 12 upperclassman Houses and raised approximately $276,000 — as a proof of concept. Berg and Zhao said they arrived at the $2.1 million figure after alumni outreach, calls with potential donors, and consultation with student organizations.

“We called a numerous amount of potential donors. We actually visited those people who have experience fundraising for Harvard in the past,” Zhao said. “We really believe in recentering students, and that means talking with them to see what they need.”

Under their plan, $200,000 would be set aside for each of four categories that the pair said often go underfunded: club sports, STEM, the arts, and affinity and religious groups.

“These are both areas that have historically been ignored, but specifically at the current moment, demand more funding,” Berg said.

A second pillar of Berg and Zhao’s platform calls for installing a student observer on the Harvard Corporation, the University’s highest governing body. Berg described the proposal as a more “feasible” alternative to the voting seat that past HUA tickets have pushed for, and a stepping stone toward greater student influence.

The move, he said, would begin to “demystify” the work of Harvard’s governing boards.

“Students, if you ask them, why was X decision made by the Corporation, most will look at you with a blank stare,” Berg said, arguing that students should get a clearer view of Harvard’s decisionmaking.

Berg and Zhao said they view the HUA as a “web” linking student organizations across campus, and want to use that role to consolidate HUA-sponsored programming into fewer, but larger events.

“We don’t think there needs to be 100,000 events,” Berg said. “We think that there needs to be a select number of good events that brings Harvard together.”

Berg cited the famous Harvard-Yale game and Housing Day as models.

Berg and Zhao also emphasized the amount of work they were willing to put into the role and the future of the organization.

The pair framed their ticket as a pairing of insider and outsider perspectives. Zhao, the HUA’s current co-treasurer, said he has had a “birds-eye view” of club funding disbursements and working with student leaders.

“A lot of times what happens is that when a new presidency or a new administration comes in, they don’t necessarily understand the full scope of the problems that they’re facing,” Zhao said. “I spent a year understanding the motivations, I guess, behind some of these clubs — exactly how we can help them.”

“I think that knowledge can go a long way,” he added.

Berg, who does not currently serve on the HUA, said his outside vantage complements Zhao’s more extensive experience within the organization.

“You have to set the precedent that you’re willing to do it, that you’re willing to get your hands dirty, that you’re willing to make all the calls,” Berg said. “We want to make sure that we are getting things done.”

HUA co-president Caleb N. Thompson ’27 said Berg and Zhao had some of the “biggest ideas” of any ticket in the race.

“Daniel is someone with incredible vision and incredible ambition,” Thompson said of Zhao’s tenure as co-treasurer. “There are obviously some challenges here with disbursements, but I would pin it more than anything on the fact that so much of the brunt of the load fell on just those two people.”

In both the spring and fall semesters, the HUA delayed disbursing funds to student organizations during Zhao’s tenure as treasurer. In April, the delay came after Zhao and Rachel M. Fields ’27, the other HUA co-treasurer, tried using an online payment feature not designed to handle mass payment transfers.

Taylor P. Beljon-Regen ‘29, who worked under Berg in the Institute of Politics’ Policy Program and as a junior staffer for Harvard Model Congress Europe, said Berg had been a “great mentor” during her first year.

“He’s always set a very high bar for himself and others, and he always makes sure to reach that bar, which I don’t think you can always say of many leaders,” she said.

Berg and Zhao said they were prepared to put the work in.

“We really think that it takes people who are willing to put everything on hold to make this happen, to meet the current moment, who are willing to fight for academia and to fight for students,” Berg said.

“What we want to communicate more than anything else, honestly, is that we really care,” he added.

—Staff writer Alma T. Barak can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at almabk.54. Follow her on X @almabk_.

—Staff writer Theresa F. Bartelme can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at theresabartelme.15. Follow her on X @theresabartelme.