The online giving application allows you to make a gift or pledge payment in a variety of ways:
- Credit card
- Wire transfer
- Securities gift
You can call us to make a gift or pledge payment by credit card at (866) 543-0243 or (650) 724-0627. Call (650) 926-0244 for securities gifts.
You can mail a check made out to Stanford University to: Gift Processing, PO Box 20466, Stanford, CA 94305. Don't forget to include a note telling us how to direct your gift.
You can set up an estate gift or a life income gift through our Planned Giving Office by e-mailing the Office of Planned Giving or calling (800) 227-8977, ext. 5-4358 (see Planned Giving for more information).

Can I make recurring credit card gifts?

Yes. Stanford accepts recurring credit card gifts in any amount and on whatever schedule is convenient for you. Recurring credit card gifts can enable you to make a more significant gift than you might otherwise be able to afford at one time. You can set up your recurring gift using the online giving application by selecting "Recurring Gift" in the "Type of Gift" drop-down menu on the first page of the giving form. If you prefer, you can set up a recurring gift by calling us at (866) 543-0243 or (650) 724-0627.

How do I make a pledge?

Many schools accept pledges online. You can select "Pledge" in the "Type of Gift" drop-down menu on the first page of the online giving application. If you want to make a pledge to a designation that does not accept new pledges online, please call (866) 543-0243 or (650) 724-0627.

Can I make a gift via electonic funds transfer (EFT)?

Yes. Stanford is able to accept electonic funds transfer payments. Download and return a copy of our electonic funds transfer form (PDF).

Where should I direct my gift? What are Stanford's current priorities?

In October 2006, the university launched The Stanford Challenge, with the goals of seeking solutions to today's complex global problems and educating students to become tomorrow's leaders. The Stanford Challenge is a university-wide effort that runs through December 31, 2011, and every gift of any size counts for the campaign during this period.

Most alumni, parents, and friends will participate through an annual gift to The Stanford Fund or one of the university's other annual funds. Annual giving is important because it provides the university with a flexible source of discretionary support that can be directed to core needs as well as used to fund innovation.

There are also many opportunities for those who wish to partner with Stanford on a key campaign priority to make a more sizeable investment. Find out more about The Stanford Challenge.

What is The Stanford Challenge and how can I participate?

The Stanford Challenge is a university-wide fundraising campaign that was launched in October 2006 and runs through December 31, 2011. The campaign seeks support for the university's efforts aimed at seeking solutions to complex global problems and educating students to play leadership roles in the 21^st century world.

What is the Atwell Match?

Thanks to a generous unrestricted bequest from Susanna Atwell, '37, MA '38, the university is able to offer the Atwell Match, a matching giving program specifically designed for annual gifts from recent graduates and current students. If you have graduated within the last ten years from one of Stanford's degree-granting programs—or if you are a current student—your gift to any of Stanford's annual funds will qualify for the Atwell Match. Outright gifts will be matched 50¢ to the dollar. Multi-year pledges, including recurring gifts charged to a credit card every month for a minimum of twelve months, are matched dollar for dollar. Donors may give to more than one annual fund, since each gift or pledge qualifies for the match. (Matching gifts are capped at $1,000 per gift or pledge payment.) Read more about the Atwell Match.

This is my reunion year. Where should I direct my reunion gift?

If you are celebrating your undergraduate reunion this year, you can make a gift to your reunion campaign by selecting "The Stanford Fund" in the "Gift Designation" drop-down menu on the online giving application. The Stanford Fund is the featured giving opportunity for all undergraduate reunion campaigns (see Reunion Campaigns for more information).

If you graduated from the Graduate School of Business, the Law School, or the School of Medicine and you are celebrating your reunion this year, you can designate your gift to your school in the "Gift Designation" drop-down menu on the online giving application. These gifts will be directed to your school's annual fund so your dean can use it to meet the school's highest current priorities (see Opportunities in the Schools for more information).

I don't see the designation of my choice in the options on the online form. How can I indicate where my gift should go?

Sometimes alumni and friends want to support specific projects or areas of the university. If you do not see the designation you are interested in supporting among those listed in the drop-down menu on the first page of the giving form, select "Other." The second page will give you another drop-down menu for "Further Designation." If you still do not see your choice, please type your preferred designation in the "Special Instructions/Further Designation" box on page two of the giving form.

What are the tax benefits of making a gift to Stanford?

All gifts to Stanford are tax deductible in the United States.

Bequests and life income gifts may offer significant tax savings (see Planned Giving Q&A or Planned Giving for more information).

I don't live in the United States. Do I receive any tax benefits for making a gift to Stanford?

International donors may be able to realize tax benefits through gifts. We recommend that you check with a local tax professional for details. Additionally, we have provided the following information from the following countries for your reference:

Canada. Canadian taxpayers may claim a tax credit for gifts to Stanford University, which is listed on Schedule VIII of the Canadian Income Tax Act under "Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University), Stanford, California."
Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Stanford University Charitable Trust is a Hong Kong government-recognized charitable trust which provides tax benefits to Hong Kong residents making gifts to Stanford. To make a gift, please e-mail Chien Lee for further information.
Taiwan. The Friends of Stanford University Foundation is a Taipei-based foundation established by Stanford alumni and friends in Taiwan for charitable gifts to the Dr. Li Kwoh Ting professorships project at Stanford. Other charitable gifts to Stanford from Taiwan may also qualify for tax-deductible status through this foundation. For further information, please contact Steven Suda.
The United Kingdom. The Stanford Trust is a charity (#1022726) registered with the U.K. Charity Commission. Through the Trust, donors of any amount may participate in the U.K. Gift Aid Scheme—a form of tax relief for single cash gifts made to The Stanford Trust and other U.K. charities by residents in the U.K. To make your gift, please do the following:

Send a cheque payable to The Stanford Trust to the following address:
The Stanford Trust
c/o Stephanie Williams
Stanford University Centre in Oxford
65 High Street
Oxford, OX1 4EL

Send a written note with your gift indicating that you would like the Gift Aid tax relief applied to your gift. The Stanford Trust will then apply to the Inland Revenue to claim a portion of the tax you have already paid.

If you pay tax at a rate higher than the basic tax rate, you should apply to the Inland Revenue for the additional tax relief.

You can use Gift Aid as often as you like to make gifts to The Stanford Trust.

If you have any questions or comments about making a gift from the United Kingdom, please contact Jennifer Good at 44 (0)7515 111 502 or jgood1@stanford.edu.

What is Stanford's federal tax ID number?

94-1156365

How can I find out if my company will match my gift to Stanford?

Many companies match employee gifts up to a certain limit per year. To find out if your company is among those participating in a gift-matching program, consult the online database of matching companies (also found within our online giving application). You can also ask your human resources department for information about your company's gift-matching policy.

Are there minimum gift levels for large gift opportunities?

Minimum gift levels vary, though there are several common large gift opportunities that have standard minimum levels:

Provostial Professorship $5 million

Professorship $4 million

Department Chair $3 million to 5 million

Junior Faculty Chair $2 million

Graduate Fellowship $1 million

Athletic Scholarship $900,000

Need-Based Undergraduate Scholarship $250,000

Endowed Book Fund $25,000

How can I make a gift of securities to Stanford?

Securities held in your brokerage account. If your securities are held in a brokerage account, most brokers will require that you submit written instructions authorizing the transfer to Stanford. Therefore, our online giving application can create a letter that you can sign and send to your broker as a letter of authorization. This letter contains important information that your broker will need, including information about Stanford's brokerage account. In addition, this online form provides a means to automatically alert Stanford of your intended gift and will expedite the university's processing of the gift. After receiving the letter of instructions, your broker will then be able to transfer the stocks directly to Stanford's account. Some brokers require this letter to be medallion signature guaranteed or notarized, so please check with your broker for special requirements.

Securities held in certificate form. If you hold stock or bond certificates, you may transfer shares to Stanford. You can notify us of your intention to transfer shares using our online giving application. It will generate a stock power form for you. Please mail the certificates along with the completed and signed stock power form to: Stanford Management Company, 2770 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, attn: Victoria Von Schell. If you have questions, please contact Victoria at (650) 926-0244 or stockgifts@smc.stanford.edu.

Securities held by a transfer agent. If you own securities that are held in book entry form by a transfer agent, please contact the transfer agent directly to inquire about requirements for transferring gift stock to Stanford University. Transfer agents will not disclose the name of the donor to Stanford University, so please be sure to notify us of your intention using our online giving application or immediately notify Victoria Von Schell at the Stanford Management Company that you have transferred securities to Stanford via a transfer agent. Please call her at (650) 926-0244, send an e-mail to stockgifts@smc.stanford.edu, or fax a copy of your letter to her at (650) 926-0312.

Please note:
These instructions apply only to U.S. exchange–listed equities. If you would like to give a restricted stock, a foreign or private equity, a mutual fund, or a bond, please contact Victoria Von Schell at the Stanford Management Company directly, as they require special handling. Victoria can be reached at (650) 926-0244, or e-mail stockgifts@smc.stanford.edu.

If you prefer not to use our online giving application to notify us of your intent to make a gift of securities, you may also download a copy of our securities transfer form (PDF).

What are the benefits of giving securities to Stanford?

If you have securities that have appreciated in value, giving them to Stanford allows you to avoid capital gains taxes while also receiving a tax deduction for your gift. To transfer securities to Stanford, you may use our online giving application. For more information on how to make a gift of securities, please see below. If you have questions, you may wish to discuss the tax benefits of your gift with your accountant or attorney. For questions on giving securities to Stanford, please contact Victoria Von Schell, gift securities administrator, at (650) 926-0244, or e-mail stockgifts@smc.stanford.edu.

How will my gift be recognized? How will I be informed of how my gift is being used?

Most of the schools and several other areas of the university publish annual reports that include donor rolls. Unless you have designated an anonymous gift, your name may appear in one of these reports at the appropriate donor level.

Donors who have established named funds at Stanford receive regular reports from the university, often directly from the gift beneficiary. These may take the form of a letter from a scholarship recipient or a personal meeting with the faculty member whose research the donor is helping to underwrite. In addition, annual financial reports are sent to all donors of endowed funds.

What is the difference between an endowment gift and an expendable gift? How does Stanford's endowment work?

Expendable gifts are to be spent in their entirety during a specific period of time. They are invested with similar funds and earn interest while remaining highly liquid.

Gifts that create endowment funds are meant to exist in perpetuity, and they are invested for long-term growth. Each year, a portion of the fund's earnings is made available in the form of payout. The payout—usually about 5 percent of the fund's value at the beginning of the fiscal year—is used for the purposes the donor and the university agreed upon when the gift was made.

I've heard Stanford assesses a charge on gifts. What is this charge and why is it imposed?

Stanford assesses an 8 percent fee on income spent from the majority of its restricted funds. This fee helps defray the cost of infrastructure—primarily building-related operating and maintenance costs such as custodial costs, routine maintenance, insurance, fire protection, and other safety costs. In addition, interest earned on restricted, expendable gifts before they are expended is aggregated with other investment income and used for general university purposes.

Whom should I contact to discuss a large gift opportunity?

To learn more, please contact Kathleen Quinn at (650) 725-5468 or at kathleen.quinn@stanford.edu.

Whom can I contact if I have other questions?

If you have additional questions about making a gift or using this site, please call (866) 543-0243 or (650) 724-0627. Our customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST. Or e-mail us.

Answers to more specific questions:

The Stanford Fund FAQs
What is the mission of the Stanford Fund, and what do Stanford Fund gifts support? Find answers to these and other questions here.

Planned Giving FAQs
What are the benefits of making a bequest or life income gift? How can you give appreciated securities, real estate, or retirement plan assets? Learn about it here.

Stanford.edu