Give in the way that
works for you
Every path leads to a student.
A gift is not one thing. It can be a card, a check, a share of stock, a line in your will, or a grant you recommend from a fund you already have. Tell us where you are starting and we will show you the way there.
I want to give today, quickly.
I have stock that has gone up in value.
I am over 70½ and have an IRA.
I already have a donor-advised fund.
I would rather write a check.
My employer matches donations.
I want to start a scholarship.
I am giving in memory of someone.
I am updating my will or estate plan.
I am not sure yet.
Simple ways to make an impact today
Most gifts start right here.
Online Gift
Make a secure one-time gift and direct your support to the scholarship, program, team, or college you care about. Gifts are processed immediately and your tax receipt arrives by email.
Monthly giving
Spread your support across the year with an automatic recurring gift. Monthly donors give students something a single gift cannot: a base of support the Foundation can count on when planning awards.
Give by mail
Prefer to send a check? Make it payable to MSUM Foundation and write the fund name and number in the memo line so your gift reaches exactly the place you intend.
Mailing address and check instructions
Make checks payable to: MSUM Foundation
Memo line: fund name and fund number
Not sure which fund? Write the area you want to support and our team will confirm the right fund with you before the gift is recorded.
Donor-advised fund
Already have a DAF? Recommend a grant to MSUM Foundation through your sponsoring organization. It is one of the fastest ways to move a gift, and you can direct it to any fund on campus.
What your DAF sponsor will ask for
Legal name: MSUM Foundation, Inc.
Tax ID (EIN) [EIN]
Address [Foundation mailing address]
Please ask your sponsor to include your name and the fund you are supporting, so we can thank you properly. DAF grants cannot be applied to event tickets, memberships, or anything that provides you a benefit.
Employer matching gifts
Thousands of employers will match a gift you have already made, and many match gifts from retirees and spouses too. A match can double what a student receives without costing you another dollar.
How to request a match
Check with your HR or community giving office, then submit the match request using our legal name MSUM Foundation, Inc. and tax ID [EIN]. Send confirmation to [matching gift contact email] and we will complete our side of the paperwork.
Sometimes the smartest
gift is not a check
What you own can do more than what you spend.
These gifts often let you give more than you thought possible while reducing what you owe. We will walk you through each step and coordinate directly with your broker, custodian, or advisor.
Stocks and securities
Giving appreciated stock you have held more than a year lets you avoid capital gains tax on the increase and deduct the full fair market value. For many donors this is the single most efficient way to give.
Transfer instructions for your broker
Brokerage [firm name]
DTC number [DTC #]
Account name MSUM Foundation, Inc.
Please tell us the transfer is coming. Shares often arrive without a donor name attached. Contact [primary contact] or [backup contact] so we can match the shares to you and send your receipt promptly.
IRA and qualified charitable distribution
If you are 70½ or older, you can give directly from your IRA to the Foundation. The distribution is excluded from your taxable income, and once you reach RMD age it can count toward your required minimum distribution.
How a QCD works
The transfer has to go directly from your IRA custodian to the Foundation. A withdrawal you deposit yourself and then donate does not qualify. Your custodian will need our legal name, MSUM Foundation, Inc., and our tax ID [EIN].
Annual limits and rules change year to year. Our gift planning resources are kept current with the latest figures.
Real estate and other property
A home, rental property, farmland, business interest, or other asset can become a meaningful gift. These take more coordination than a card or a check, so they start with a conversation rather than a form.
Put your name, or someone else's, on an opportunity
Some gifts keep introducing themselves.
Establish a scholarship
Create a scholarship that reflects what you value, honors someone you love, or supports students in a field you care about. You choose the criteria. We handle the awarding, the stewardship, and the annual report back to you.
Create an endowment
An endowed fund is invested permanently, and a portion of its earnings is awarded every year. The principal stays intact, which means a gift you make once continues supporting students long after you make it.
What it takes to endow a fund
Endowed funds at the MSUM Foundation start at [minimum funding level], and you can build to that level over [pledge period] rather than all at once.
Memorial and tribute gifts
Give in memory of someone whose life deserves to keep making a difference, or in honor of a professor, coach, or classmate who changed your direction. We will notify the family or the honoree of your gift, without naming the amount.
Give later, decide now
The gift costs you nothing today.
Future gifts let you make a commitment far larger than what you could give from income, while keeping full control of your assets for as long as you need them.
Include MSUM in your will or trust
Name the Foundation for a specific amount, a percentage, or whatever remains after your family is provided for. You keep control of everything during your lifetime and can change your mind at any point.
Name MSUM as a beneficiary
Retirement accounts, investment accounts, and life insurance policies pass by beneficiary form, not by will. Updating one form is often the simplest future gift a person can make, and retirement assets are usually the most tax-efficient thing to leave to a nonprofit.
Gift annuities and charitable trusts
Certain arrangements can support MSUM while paying income back to you or someone you name. Rates depend on age, and the details are worth modeling before you decide.
Calculators, sample language, wills planner, and resources for professional advisors.
Start with what matters to
you
Some gifts keep introducing themselves.
You do not need to know which fund, account, or giving strategy to use. Tell us what you would like your generosity to accomplish, and we will help you find the way to do it. There is no obligation and no pressure, just a conversation with someone who does this every day.
What your broker, employer, or advisor will need
MSUM Foundation, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
This page is provided as an educational service and is not legal or tax advice. Please consult your attorney or tax advisor about your situation.