Ways to Give
Leave your mark on our legacy
Your support ensures that we remain a leader in engineering education, discovery, innovation, and sustained excellence. Together, we can continue to build on our history of distinction. Just as we've done for the last 150 years.
Every gift makes a difference for our students by nurturing achievement, fostering excellence, and training the next generation of science, engineering, and business leaders.
How to Give
Cash or Wire Transfer
For information on how to cash transfer by wire, call the University of Illinois Foundation at (217) 333-0810 or email [email protected].
Credit Card
Make your gift online through our secure giving page. You may also contact us directly to answer any questions by emailing [email protected] or call the Office of Advancement at (217) 244-2364.
Electronic Funds Transfer
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is a secure way to deliver your gifts directly and automatically from your bank to the University of Illinois Foundation. 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. You may extend your contribution into installments over the entire year.
To make your gifts via EFT, simply download, complete and return the EFT Authorization Form to the University of Illinois Foundation.
You may fax the form to (217) 333-5577 or mail to:
University of Illinois Foundation
P.O. Box 734500
Chicago, IL 60673-4500
Please make gifts by check or money order payable to the "University of Illinois Foundation."
Please also include a short note (or memo on your check) stating the purpose or designation of your gift.
Mail to:
University of Illinois Foundation
P.O. Box 734500
Chicago, IL 60673-4500
For the security of your gift, please do not send cash.
Payroll Deductions
Payroll deduction is an easy way for University employees to make gifts directly and automatically from a paycheck. As with online giving and EFT, payroll deduction donations allow us to minimize administrative expenses.
When you make a payroll deduction gift, you may instruct the University to withhold a minimum contribution of $5 per month for a period of time (no less than 3 installments) or until you instruct us to discontinue the withholding.
To make your gifts via payroll deduction, simply complete the Payroll Deduction Authorization Form.
If you have any questions, please contact Gift Processing at (217) 244-2706.
Tax Benefits
Your gift may provide you with federal and state income tax benefits. Your state may also allow a credit or deduction.
The University of Illinois Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation separate from the University of Illinois and is a 501(c)(3) organization.
A copy of the University of Illinois Foundation's current financial statement is available online or can be requested by calling the Foundation at (217) 333-0675.
Matched Gifts
Company Matching Gifts
Your gift to The Grainger College of Engineering may be doubled, tripled, or possibly quadrupled through your company's matching gift program! Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or their spouses. To find out if your company has a matching gift policy, please enter your employer's name in the database on the University of Illinois Foundation's website.
Recurring Gifts
Support what matters to you most by setting up a monthly, quarterly, or yearly gift
Your recurring contribution allows us to develop groundbreaking research, develop future leaders, and create opportunities to bring world-changing innovations to market. Your steadfast generosity allows us to flexibly maneuver and to prepare for the future. Priorities such as supporting our faculty and students’ experiences, renovating learning spaces and labs to cultivate breakthrough research and innovation, and the Engineering Visionary Scholarship Initiative have been strengthened thanks to philanthropic support from recurring donors.
Your gift can be may be made to a specific department or outreach program or special initiatives in the college, a department, or another engineering program to meet specific needs.
Planned Gifts
Establish Your Legacy
Our continued excellence depends on the generosity of our dedicated alumni and friends. As you reflect on your own legacy, consider the long-term impact you can have on The Grainger College of Engineering through a planned gift. Planned gifts can help you take care of yourself and your loved ones while also meeting your philanthropic goals. By making a planned gift to the college, your commitment is far more meaningful than you ever thought possible.
Gifts by Will
Through various types of bequests for The Grainger College of Engineering, you may secure a charitable estate-tax deduction for the value of the gift. Best of all, you will know that your generosity will support the college for years to come.
Gifts that Pay You Income
Do you want to support Grainger Engineering but worry about having enough income for yourself and your loved ones? Life-income gifts, such as gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, can provide donors with an income stream, significant tax savings, and the satisfaction of supplying the college with vital long-term resources.
Charitable Lead Trust
Transferring property to Grainger Engineering and individuals you wish to benefit is not always an either/or proposition. With careful planning, you may be able to arrange your transfers to accomplish more than one objective. For example, if you have assets that are appreciating, children who may want to start a business in the future, and a desire to assist the college, you may wish to consider creating a charitable lead trust.
Gifts from Retirement Plans
You may consider using retirement-plan benefits to make a significant gift that will support the college. Because of the estate- and income-tax treatment of retirement-plan benefits, the cost of your gift to your estate and heirs is often relatively small.
Gifts of Assets
The simplest way to support Grainger Engineering is through cash gifts. But creative gifts of assets can include stocks, bonds, and property (real estate and personal property such as artwork). These cannot only provide you with charitable deductions but can also offer additional tax savings.