Funding Your Gift  

Most donors make gifts and pledge payments via online giving, check, credit card, automatic bank drafts or even payroll deduction for Florida State University faculty and staff. Others take advantage of tax savings that come from giving appreciated stocks, shares of mutual funds or property. Donors contribute gifts-in-kind, such as works of art, antique furnishings or rare books and manuscripts for the library. A growing number of alumni and friends incorporate gifts into their financial and estate plans.

Electronic Funds Transfer
The electronic funds transfer program works in cooperation with your bank, similar to automatic teller machines, direct deposit of payroll, Social Security checks, pay-by-phone and other electronic banking services. The transaction is completed without paper handling. 

Securities
Donor stock transfers allow donors to gift their stocks to Florida State University in three ways: electronically (DTC), physical certificate in donor’s name and physical certificate naming the FSU Foundation.  

Real Estate
The Florida State University welcomes gifts of real estate. Gifting appreciated real estate is an excellent choice for a charitable gift and, in most cases, a donor is entitled to a charitable deduction for the full gross market value of the property. The newly formed Florida State University Real Estate Foundation accepts real estate gifts and has adopted certain policies and procedures to make the process work smoothly, taking all parties into consideration.  

Employer Matching Gifts
Many companies will match or multiply a donation made to charitable organizations through their matching gift programs. To find out if your company participates in such a program, ask your human resources department or search the Foundation’s online database of companies that match gifts.  

State Matching Programs
The Florida Legislature enacted the Major Gift Challenge Grant Program to encourage partnerships between the private sector and state universities. This program matches private endowment gifts, as funds allow, supporting libraries and instruction and research programs as defined by rules of the Florida Board of Regents.

During the 2011 legislative session, Florida lawmakers agreed to temporarily suspend this program. The programs may be restarted once the state pays $200 million of the current $500 million backlog. All indications are the state will eventually honor the match for gifts that were received on or before June 29, 2011; gifts received after this date will not be eligible for state match.

While there will be a substantial delay in the availability of state matching funds, the state has not abolished this initiative — it has merely suspended payments into the program until the economy recovers.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Major Gift Challenge Grant Program, please contact Chief Financial Officer Jerry Ganz at (850) 644-0766 or jganz@foundation.fsu.edu.