Giving to Olin: Frequently Asked Questions

Olin’s fiscal year (FY) is July 1 to June 30.

Alumni, parents, and Olin employees can view their giving history once logged into the Olin Portal at my.olin.edu. Once you log in to the portal, open the menu and click on “Our Community”. You can then scroll down and under the “Alumni & Families” section, select “My Contribution History” to view your giving to Olin. 

If you need help logging in, use the Olin password management tool or call the IT HelpDesk at 781.292.2430. 

You can also find out your giving history by contacting Christina Tavella, Stewardship and Donor Relations Associate at [email protected] or 781-292-2255. 

Making a gift of any size has an impact on Olin’s participation rates, and your support adds up quickly. Strong alumni and family participation in giving demonstrates the enthusiasm and commitment of our community to companies, foundations, and other institutions who are considering financial and collaborative partnerships with Olin. 

Alumni Participation Rates 

• Beginning with our first graduating class in 2006, Olin alumni have recognized Olin’s profound impact on their careers and their lives with generous annual support. 

Parent Participation Rates 

• Parents and families know firsthand the value of an Olin education. Our families are valued ambassadors and their support pays forward Olin's transformative experience to the next generation of students. 

Olin College is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 06-1519057.

When you fill out the online pledge form with a pledge payment schedule for a one- to five-year commitment, you are letting Olin know your intention to give a specified amount during the selected interval to the gift designation indicated. 

By committing in advance to Olin, you can maximize the impact of your gift, and may be able to stretch your gift out over multiple years. Pledging serves as a strategic way to plan your philanthropy; for example, a donor might not be able to give $5,000 today, but could make that same gift if spread out over two or three years. 

Single and multi-year pledges are important for Olin because they help to reduce a portion of our budgetary unknowns as we plan for each coming year. In addition, they save the College fundraising resources and help forecast our giving participation. 

You can also make a pledge by contacting Emily Cavalier, Director of the Olin Fund, at [email protected] or 781-292-2289. 

You can make your pledge payment online via a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit card, using Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, with a check made out to “Olin College” and mailed to the Office of Strategic Communications | 1000 Olin Way | Needham, MA 02492, or via stock, electronic transfer, online bill pay, or donor advised fund. Click here to learn more about ways to give. 

While we encourage you to give to the original designation of your pledge, you may change the gift designation, or the other terms of your pledge commitment, by contacting Emily Cavalier, Director of the Olin Fund, at [email protected]. It is important that we know if you decide to switch your pledge designation so we can update our records and communications accordingly. 

We understand that life circumstances, preferences, and needs change. If your philanthropic capacity has been altered and you cannot fulfill your pledge payment for the fiscal year, we ask that you notify Emily Cavalier, Director of the Olin Fund, at [email protected] so we can update your pledge record. 

As you know, participation is incredibly important to Olin, so if you must skip a year of your pledge commitment, please consider making a small gift for participation purposes. A gift of any amount truly makes a difference. 

Yes, all gifts to Olin are tax-deductible. If you make an online gift, you will receive an electronic receipt with the amount and tax information at the bottom, as well as Olin's tax ID number (EIN 06-1519057). If you make a donation with a check or stock transfer, you will receive a receipt and acknowledgement letter in the mail. 

When you make a gift online, your credit card will be charged immediately and the funds will go directly to Olin College. 

Yes! Find out if your employer matches gifts using the tool below. Thank you in advance for your matching gift. This is a simple and painless way to increase the impact of your gift. We truly appreciate this additional support. 

Matching Gift and Volunteer Grant information provided by

If your employer matches gifts, please fill out your employer's matching gift form and send it to Olin. Once we receive it, we will confirm with you that your donation was received. 

Please email Emily Cavalier, Director of the Olin Fund, at [email protected] to let us know you have applied for a match with your employer and we will keep an eye out for it. 

Yes. Some donors prefer to make one annual gift, while others prefer to give multiple times throughout the year. You can choose to set up a monthly or annual recurring gift directly on our GiveCampus page. You can also contribute to different giving opportunities throughout the year, including to time-dependent matching gift challenges, giving days, and efforts to raise funds for particular projects. 

A recurring gift offers donors an easy way to support Olin over time.  

Once you determine the amount and frequency of your donation, Olin will charge your credit card at the predetermined interval. (For each period, charges are made as close as possible to the same date.) We send donors an email confirming each charge. 

Recurring gifts automatically renew each year until an end date specified by the donor. 

Here are some examples of recurring gift amounts and the resulting annual contribution. 

* Phoenix Leadership Giving Society amounts 

A designation allows you to specify the program(s) or fund(s) where you would like your charitable dollars to go. The Olin Fund is the highest priority designation, and gifts made to this fund will have the biggest impact. 

Yes, you can give to multiple designations and no, there is not a limit. We encourage focusing on the top three designations you're most passionate about to have the greatest impact. If you are giving to multiple designations, we recommend including the Olin Fund as this is the highest priority designation at Olin. 

Contact Emily Cavalier at [email protected] or 781-292-2289. 

Sometimes, there will be fundraising efforts for student teams or other projects at Olin. We support these efforts with crowdfunding pages on GiveCampus, the same provider we use for all online giving to Olin.   

Funding goes directly to Olin when giving through our crowdfunding site, just like when you make a gift through our main giving page. 

Olin’s crowdfunding site is powered by GiveCampus. 

Yes, gifts via Olin’s crowdfunding site count toward participation! 

Yes, Olin will still receive your donation and it will still help the team or project you supported! 

Links to our Impact Report and Annual Report are shared toward the end of each calendar year. Other stewardship reports will be sent individually. 

You can also explore news and stories throughout our website, as well as on our social media channels, to see your support at work. 

If you would like to learn more about the impact of your gift, please reach out to Emily Cavalier, Director of the Olin Fund, at [email protected] or 781-292-2289.