Giving FAQ

Your generosity—along with that of our other friends and supporters—makes possible the programs and projects that advance the mission of Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and further its role as a global leader in patient care, research, education, and community service. Not only is giving satisfying, but it can also be rewarding, allowing you to make a personal statement, shape the future, and leave a lasting legacy at CUIMC.

There are many creative ways you can make a gift to CUIMC. You can write a check, use a credit card, transfer stock, bonds, retirement plan assets, or real estate. You can make a gift in your will or designate us as the beneficiary of an IRA. Connect with our team of planned giving experts to discuss how a gift can meet your financial and charitable goals while support CUIMC in the long term. 

Explore the various gift plans and their benefits.

To some extent you can designate how your gift will be used. You can apply it to an existing program, you can specify that it be applied to a larger yet more general goal, or you can state that a gift should be used to support our overall mission.

You can specify your wishes with a letter of intent or by creating a Memorandum of Agreement. Or simply write in the memo portion of your check how you want your gift to be used.

To make a gift of stock, visit Ways to Give.

If you are interested in including CUIMC in your will or estate plan, please call our team of planned giving experts at 212-342-2108. If there is a particular area or program you wish to support, our team can provide you with the appropriate bequest language to ensure your gift can be used as you intend.

A designated gift is used for the special purpose that you specify. An unrestricted gift is put in the general fund that supports all of our programs and projects as well as our overall mission.

A gift in your will—a charitable bequest—lets you make a gift now that is realized sometime in the future. Simply designate in your will that CUIMC receives a specific amount or certain property at your death. If you already have a will, your attorney can easily amend it through a codicil. Since a bequest gift is not completed today, you have the opportunity to change the gift arrangement if your needs or goals change. For many of our supporters, a charitable bequest is an ideal way to make a meaningful gift that costs you nothing now. Contact our Planned Giving team for sample bequest language at dev_plannedgiving@cumc.columbia.edu.

Whatever your philanthropic goals, planning now is the right thing to do. But planning now does not mean you have to give now. Some of the most meaningful and rewarding gifts are those that can be planned today and completed later. Planned gifts can be structured to create a lasting impact at CUIMC in the areas that mean the most to you - all while achieving your own financial goals.

Tax ID Number

Columbia University's tax ID number (EIN) is 13-5598093.

Please call the CUIMC Office of Development at 212-342-2108 if you require a copy of our tax letter.

Legal Name

Columbia University's legal name is "The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York."

Tax Receipt

We mail tax receipts for all gifts of $10 and above. However, if you give online, we will only mail tax receipts at your request—but we will e-mail a confirmation to you.

Tax Advantages

A cash gift entitles you to the most generous federal income tax charitable deduction—up to 60 percent of your adjusted gross income. If all deductible gifts within a given year exceed the 60-percent limit, the excess amount may be carried over as a deduction for up to five years.