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Institute of Technology
Inventing Tomorrow

Outright gifts

Cash

Cash gifts of any size have an immediate impact on the college program you designate. You may donate cash in a lump sum or, depending on the gift size, pledge your gift over a period of time.

Benefit: If you itemize your tax deductions, your gift is fully deductible up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income, with the option of carrying any unused balance forward for up to five years.

Cash gift options:

  • Send a check or money order made payable to the University of Minnesota along with a letter designating the recipient of the gift.

    University of Minnesota Foundation
    McNamara Alumni Center
    University of Minnesota Gateway
    200 Oak Street S.E.
    Minneapolis, MN 55455-2010
  • Use your credit card to make a gift online. Our secure Web site encrypts all your personal information so that it cannot be read over the Internet.
  • Call our secure credit card hotline at 612-626-8560. Leave your full name and phone number, type of credit card, card number, expiration date, amount of your gift, and designated recipient, if any.
  • Payroll deduction is a convenient way for University faculty and staff to make a gift. Complete a payroll deduction form (in pdf format) to make arrangements.
  • Employer matching increases the impact of your gift. Each year more than 400 companies have matched gifts made by their employees to the University of Minnesota. Some companies may also match gifts from spouses and retirees. Search our online database or call your personnel office to see if your company has a matching-gifts program.

Appreciated securities

Gifts of stocks, bonds, treasuries, and mutual funds that have increased in value are the most tax-advantageous method of making a charitable gift. These gifts to IT can be made with a simple transfer of ownership. Contact a development officer for more information on this tax-smart way to make a gift, including information your broker needs to make the gift electronically.

Benefit: Get a charitable deduction for the fair market value of long-term capital gains property (up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income) and pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation.

Real estate

Property, including homes, cabins, commercial buildings, and farmland can be given to the college as a gift.

Benefit: Income tax savings in the year you make the gift. Claim charitable deductions of up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income for gifts of appreciated property. Pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation.

IRA assets

When retirement assets are rolled over and held in an IRA, they are an excellent source of funds that donors can use to make outright gifts to IT. Although the funds withdrawn from an IRA are fully taxable, in many cases the charitable deduction will equal the amount withdrawn and no tax will be owed.