Giving

Donations and Gift Accounts

The University Seminars at Columbia University has been a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and a center of cross-disciplinary study among scholars since 1945. You can play a vital role in ensuring that The Seminars continue to support the work of all seminars for many years to come by donating to The University Seminars General Fund or to individual seminars.

Donations to The University Seminars General Fund support publications, conferences and special events, and community events.

An individual seminar can ask Gesenia Alvarez-Lazauskas to establish and maintain a gift account for its use. Individual seminar gift accounts can be used to supplement the limited funding available from The University Seminars for costs such as meals, travel, and lodging associated with regular meetings and conferences approved by Columbia University.

Ways to Give

Credit Card Online Donation

Select the “Donate” button in the upper-right corner of the web page to link directly to The University Seminars gift form. Fill in this form accordingly. If you wish to make a gift to a specific seminar, on the last page of the form, type “Seminar [#] – [Seminar Name]” in the “Special Instructions” box before selecting the Pay by Card button.

To make a gift to The University Seminars General Fund and a specific seminar, to more than one seminar, or to another combination recipients, note this intention to divide the gift in the “Special Instructions” box.

For example:
Write in the “Special Instructions” box: 50% to the University Seminars General Fund and 50% to #407 | The Renaissance.

Personal or Institutional Check

Checks must be made payable to “Columbia University” with [Seminar number and name] or [The University Seminars General Fund] and “Gift” written in the memo line.

Mail your gift to: The University Seminars
Attention: Gesenia Alvarez-Lazauskas
64 Morningside Drive, 2nd Floor
MC 2302
New York, NY 10027

Considerations

Tax Receipts

Columbia’s Alumni and Development office mails tax receipts for all gifts of $10 and above. However, if a donor gives online, Gift Systems will only mail tax receipts at the donor’s request.

Online donors will receive an e-mail confirmation for their gift in lieu of a paper tax receipt mailed to the donor’s mailing address.

Institutional Gifts

Institutional gifts must be accompanied by a letter of confirmation from the donating organization. The letter must include a contact person and mailing address, as well as specify the contribution amount. Here’s an example of what needs to be included in the letter:

This is to confirm that [Institution’s Name] provided funding in the form of an unrestricted gift to support the Columbia University Seminar on [Seminar Name] [seminar number] or [The University Seminars General Fund]. Allocation: University Seminars Gift (06889).

[Institution’s Name] will not receive any goods and services in exchange for this gift. The contribution amount is [dollar amount].

This letter can be emailed to Gesenia Alvarez-Lazauskas.

Tax and Related Information

Please reference the “Tax and Related Information” and “Gifts of Securities” pages under the Giving section of the Columbia University website. Links below.

Tax and Related Information

Gifts of Securities