Cash can be used to make both outright gifts and retained life income gifts. You may make a gift of cash by check, wire, through our website, or, if you are on campus, by bringing the gift to the Office of Development. If you mail your gift of cash, the date of the gift is the postmark date on the envelope in which it is mailed.

Cash can fund outright gifts, bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and pooled income fund gifts.

Gifts of $50,000 or more made either in a single payment or pledged over a longer period may be used to create endowed funds for special purposes. Endowed funds earn interest in perpetuity and, once fully funded, this interest is applied to the purpose for which the fund was created.

To learn more about making a gift by cash or pledge, please contact Development and Alumni Relations at development@cvm.msu.edu or 517-353-4937.

Make a gift of continuing support through a multi-year, recurring gift. You have the satisfaction and confidence of knowing your support is lasting and sustaining. When you make a multi-year recurring gift, you agree to make a gift over a period of years.

The benefits of gifts of this kind are many. For you, it means having the confidence of knowing you are supporting the College and the world-class education we provide year after year.

For the College, it means we can focus on allocating our budget more efficiently. It also allows us to look at longer-term goals and plan for the future.

To make a multi-year recurring gift, contact Development and Alumni Relations at development@cvm.msu.edu or call us at 517-353-4937.

A gift of appreciated stock will entitle you to a charitable deduction equal to the mean market value of the stock on the date of your gift, and also allow you to avoid capital gains tax on the stock’s appreciation. A gift of appreciated stock is a very attractive way to give to the College. Not only does your gift enhance education and research, you may also realize a substantial tax savings. This is most advantageous when you have owned the stock for at least one year and the stock has appreciated in value.

Your gift of long-term appreciated stock will entitle you to a charitable deduction equal to the mean market value of the stock on the date of your gift, and you avoid capital gains tax on the stock’s appreciation.

Thank you for your interest and investment in the College. Your support is sincerely appreciated. Contact us at development@cvm.msu.edu or at 517-353-4937, if you have any questions or require further information.

You may choose to honor a special pet or person by making a gift to the College of Veterinary Medicine in their name. You may make a memorial gift online, by mail, or by calling our office at 517-353-4937. To make a donation via mail, please make check payable to Michigan State University and include the name of the fund you wish to support on the memo line of your check. You can mail your donation to:

College of Veterinary Medicine
Memorial/Honorary Gift Program
Veterinary Medical Center
784 Wilson Road, Room G155
East Lansing, MI, 48824

We will send an acknowledgment letter to you and to the person or family for whom the gift was given. While the amount of your gift will remain confidential, the person honored or the owner of the pet in question will be informed of your gift.

Endowment funds are vital to ensuring the long-term strength of the College. They can cover a wide variety of areas including scholarships, professorships, or research. A strong endowment is the financial backbone of any institution of higher education. The College endowment is a collection of approximately 300 separate funds established to provide scholarships, support professorships and research efforts, and other activities, including support for specific programs. Endowed gifts are made with the knowledge that the intended impact of the gift will last into the future. (Link to endowed funds)

A minimum outright gift of $50,000 is required to establish a new, named endowed fund. Funds intended for specific purposes may have higher minimum amounts. Estate gifts and income-generating gifts can also be designated to the endowment, but may carry additional restrictions. Most existing endowed funds are open to gifts from anyone. Additional gifts to existing funds can be an appropriate way to honor a family or program.

To learn more about establishing an endowed fund, please contact Development and Alumni Relations at development@cvm.msu.edu or 517-353-4937.

Through gift planning, you can select ways to give that help you meet your goals – and the College’s. With planning, you may earn income, pay fewer taxes, and secure your retirement; enhance your net estate; create a personal legacy. We would like to assist you if you are considering a future gift to the college or a gift of a complex asset such as real estate. We will provide personal illustrations of your giving options and the many ways your gift, no matter the amount, can benefit the CVM’s students and faculty.

Some examples of planned gifts are:

Gifts of estate. Giving through your estate allows you to make specific bequests in support of the CVM through a variety of instruments.

Gifts that generate income. When you give to MSU, you can choose a gift plan that allows you to retain a steady stream of income for you or your beneficiaries.

Gifts of complex assets. If you wish to make a gift of a complex asset, such as real estate, life insurance, or retirement assets, we can link you with MSU’s Gift Planning office, which has the expertise to simplify the process.

To learn more about such gifts, please contact us at development@cvm.msu.edu or 517-353-4937.

Your gift to the College might be worth more than face value. Taking advantage of company-sponsored matching gift programs can mean the impact of your gift will be greatly increased, perhaps even doubled.

Though matching gift policies vary by company, many employers will match gifts at a 1:1 ratio (up to a specified dollar amount), and may even match gifts made by retired employees. Click here to find out if a company has a matching gift policy.

This may be the right choice if you:

• Wish to make an outright, life-income, or retained life estate, or bequest gift
• Own real estate that is not subject to a mortgage
• Wish to avoid incurring capital gains tax on the transfer of a highly appreciated asset
• Have owned the property for more than one year

This asset can be used to fund a wide variety of gifts.

To learn more about making a gift of tangible property, please contact Development and Alumni Relations at development@cvm.msu.edu or 517-353-4937.

This may the right choice if you:

• Want to invest in the future of the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine
• Wish to defer making a gift until your death
• Want to decrease the estate tax penalties for your family

To learn more about bequests, visit our website or contact the Gift Planning staff development@cvm.msu.edu or 517-353-4937.

This may be the right choice if you:

• Would like to make a significant gift to MSU
• Would like to benefit from a charitable deduction during your lifetime
• Own a life insurance policy and no longer require its protection

If you are considering purchasing a new life insurance policy for the benefit of the College, please contact us first to discuss whether this way of giving is most appropriate given your circumstances.

To learn more about gifts of life insurance, please contact us at development@cvm.msu.edu or 517-353-4937.

A gift of tangible personal property, such as art, a collection of rare books, stamp or coin collection, horse or pony, etc., entitles the donor to a charitable deduction based on the full fair market (appraised) value of the gift if the gift complies with the standard of "related use" regarding the designation at and use by Michigan State University.

If you are considering a gift-in-kind, please contact Development and Alumni Relations at development@cvm.msu.edu or 517-353-4937 for more details.