Ways to Give

Your gifts also enable RIT to draw top faculty who will educate and enhance life-altering research. Support bolsters student clubs and organizations, athletics and the performing arts, and enables a number of experiential learning opportunities like study abroad and co-op. Giving to RIT is easy and we offer a number of giving options to give you the flexibility you need to make a charitable gift to RIT to the area that means the most to you.

For additional information, please contact us. Our team is available to provide further clarification and assistance, and can be reached by phone at 585-475-5500 or toll-free at 1-800-477-0376, or by email at givetorit@rit.edu. We welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have and assist you in making a meaningful impact through your giving to RIT.

To make a gift by check, please download a printable version of our giving form. Checks should be made payable to "Rochester Institute of Technology" (we recommend you not mail cash) and mailed to:

Rochester Institute of Technology
University Advancement
P.O. Box 92765
Rochester, NY 14692-8865

If you are on campus, you can bring your gift to University Advancement in the University Services Center, or send via RIT Interoffice Mail to University Advancement.

Download Gift Form

To make a safe and secure online credit card gift 24 hours a day, visit our online giving page. It is convenient, quick and eliminates the need for envelopes, stamps or checks. In addition, your gift starts working for RIT right away! Remember, you may be able to match your gift, so visit www.matchinggifts.com/rit/ and search our online matching gift clearinghouse to find out if your company has a matching gift program and how to submit an application. Or visit your company's Human Resources department and ask about matching gift programs. RIT gives you credit for both gifts.

Give Online

You can make your annual gift quickly and easily using your PayPal account. Simply visit our online giving form, and select PayPal as your payment method. You will be directed to the Paypal site to log into your existing account. If you do not have a Paypal account, you can use their “guest” checkout option.

Give Online

If you are considering a non-cash gift such as appreciated stock, real estate or a gift-in-kind, please call us at (585) 475-5500, email at giving@rit.edu, download a form, or complete the Gift of Stock form and we will be happy to help.

Complete Gift of Stock Form

If you are considering a non-cash gift such as real estate or a gift-in-kind, please call us at (585) 475-5500 or email us at giving@rit.edu.

Gifts-in-kind are generally defined as non-cash donations of materials or long-lived assets, other than real and personal property. Gifts of materials or long-lived assets that are directly related to the mission of the institution will be evaluated internally prior to acceptance. 

Gifts-in-kind might include such items as equipment, printed materials, food, beverages, or other items used for hosting an event, etc. Gifts-in-kind usually (although not always) come from companies, corporations or vendors, in contrast to individuals, who typically give personal property.

Real Estate and Personal Property Donations

All gifts of real estate require prior approval by the university. A gift of real estate may be a principal residence or vacation home, a farm, a commercial building, a subdivision lot, or unimproved land. The gift may be the entire property or a fractional interest in the property. RIT's Office of Gift Planning can walk you through the approval process.

Personal property is anything other than real property that is subject to personal ownership. 

Real or personal property becomes a gift to the institution when a transfer of ownership has taken place. This occurs when the item(s) of property or clear title to the property has been delivered to the institution or the institution's legal agent.

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is a secure way to deliver your gifts directly and automatically from your bank to RIT. As with online giving, EFT donations allow us to minimize administrative expenses. When you make an EFT gift, your bank disburses the funds automatically according to your instructions until you decide to stop. EFT is a quick, automatic method to make regular contributions, allowing you to divide your gift into easy, automatic monthly installments. To make your gifts via EFT, simply download, complete and return the EFT Authorization Form to Rochester Institute of Technology.

Download EFT Gift Form

Double the value of your gift! Matching Gift Programs are provided as an employee benefit in many companies in the U.S. These programs vary as to the amount matched, but generally offer a dollar-for-dollar match when an employee makes a personal gift to a nonprofit organization. Every year, hundreds of companies help support RIT through these generous programs.

At RIT, you receive credit for both your gift and the matching gift amount! Use the window below to find out if your company offers a matching gift program. You can search by company or subsidiary name and find out matching ratios, company contacts, etc. Check directly with your human resources or matching gift coordinator to find out how your company handles matching gifts. AND, if your spouse or partner also works for a matching gift company, you may be able to TRIPLE the value of your gift.

If you would like to learn more about our Matching Gift Program, or if you would like to make us aware that you are working with your company on a matching gift, please visit our Matching Gifts website here. 

RIT welcomes gifts from alumni, parents and friends from around the world and we thank you for your generosity.

The university also encourages donors who are taxpayers in other countries to review local tax laws and regulations for details or consult a local professional tax advisor. 

Accepting Foreign Currency and Foreign Securities

RIT reserves the right to accept foreign currency and securities on a case-by-case basis. In cases where RIT accepts a gift of foreign currency, the gift will be recorded in U.S. currency based on the closing exchange rate on the day the gift is received. In cases where RIT accepts foreign securities, the policies and procedures applicable to gifts of marketable domestic securities will apply (see Stocks and Securities). In cases where RIT does not accept the foreign currency or securities from the donor, the check/currency or securities will be returned to the donor with proper documentation. With the exception of endowed accounts, any gain/loss on the exchange of the foreign currency and securities between the day the gift was received and the day the electronic deposit is posted to the university’s bank account will be reflected on the general ledger account where the gift was designated. For endowed accounts, the gain/loss is recorded to the investment pool. The reporting requirements for gifts of foreign currency or from foreign entities are satisfied by Finance and Administration.

Gifts to Non-U.S. Affiliates of RIT

Contributions to non-US affiliates of RIT may be recorded as charitable gifts and may be eligible for an official U.S. tax receipt under certain circumstances. Such gifts should be Rochester Institute of Technology Gift Acceptance Policy Page 5 of 16 made to RIT Global Delivery Corporation (RGDC) and should be reviewed on a facts and circumstances basis by RIT’s Development and Controller’s Offices. RGDC is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of RIT whose exempt purpose is to deliver RIT academic programs in countries outside of the United States. The following guidelines apply to gifts to RIT Croatia, RGDC’s only subsidiary and other foreign campuses where RIT offers programs through RGDC. RGDC will accept gifts to benefit RIT Croatia, and issue an official U.S. tax receipt, so long as RGDC’s board determines that such gifts are consistent with its exempt purpose. Gifts made directly to RIT Croatia will not be issued an official U.S. tax receipt by RIT or RGDC. RGDC may accept gifts that benefit its foreign campuses other than RIT Croatia so long as RGDC’s board determines that such gifts are consistent with its exempt purpose. RGDC will not accept gifts to benefit foreign campuses for purposes other than delivering academic programs. Donors wishing to make gifts to foreign campuses, other than RIT Croatia, are encouraged to contact the foreign campus directly. Such gifts will not be issued a U.S. tax receipt by RIT or RGDC. Under RIT’s consolidated legal entity structure, only gifts to RIT Croatia and the RIT Global Delivery Corporation will be included in RIT’s consolidated financial statement.

Recognizing the growing popularity of cryptocurrency among alumni and supporters, RIT can accept charitable gifts made through a 3rd party, such as Fidelity Charitable. For more information on how to convert your gift of cryptocurrency to a cash gift and support RIT please visit this link to Fidelity Charitable’s website.

In addition to being highly secure, gifts of crypto may come with tax benefits. The IRS classifies cryptocurrency as property for tax purposes. When you donate crypto directly to a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, you receive a tax deduction for the fair market value.

For more information about this type of transaction, or if your cryptocurrency is not accepted by Fidelity, please reach out to University Advancement.
 

You can make a one-time gift and designate when you want the gift deducted. Or, you can make a pledge for the year based on your biweekly or semimonthly payment schedule. You can also choose to make an ongoing gift that will renew automatically each year. To make a gift through payroll deduction, please download the payroll deduction instructions for details. For more information, call University Advancement at (585) 475-5500.

Download Instructions

Recurring Gifts are an easy, automatic way to support RIT that works for your budget and schedule. It is convenient, customizable, environmentally friendly, and helps ensure a steady source of funding for RIT.

You can set up your recurring gift by credit card now, or the next time you make an online donation, by choosing "Recurring Gift" on our gift form.

Once you have entered your payment information and submitted your recurring gift, RIT will automatically deduct gifts from your credit card according to the amount, frequency (monthly or annually), and duration (the total number of payments) you provide. And don’t worry—your online donation is secure and flexible.

Making a pledge is a promise to make a gift at a later time or over time. To make a pledge to RIT, visit our online gift form and select "Scheduled Gift," where you can choose the number and schedule of your pledge payments. If you want your scheduled payments to continue until you say "stop," you can schedule that in the "Perpetual Gift" area.

If you have already made a pledge, thank you! You can pay your pledge online through our secure payment form. Visit rit.edu/pledgepay to make your payment now. 

Pledge Online 

Crowdfunding at RIT helps students, faculty, staff, and alumni fundraise for their RIT-related causes including class projects, club events, athletics, and other university-approved activities.

Learn more about Crowdfunding at RIT

Information about RIT's Gift Policy can be found on the Gift Policy website.

Gift Policy