Ways to Give
Whether you are a current or former scholar, a Friend of IAS, a member of the local community, or an ardent supporter of basic research, your gift is essential for sustaining the Institute and its mission for generations to come. There are many ways of including IAS in your philanthropic plans: with gifts of annual support, major gifts of endowment and program support, or gifts made in conjunction with your estate planning process. Consider making a gift online, or contact the Development Staff to discuss how you might support IAS.
Use a Debit or Credit Card
Give online now using Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, or American Express
Mail a Check
Send to:
Institute for Advanced Study
1 Einstein Drive
Princeton, NJ 08540
Attn: Amy Spears
Wire Transfer
Please contact Amy Spears, Director of Development Operations (aspears@ias.edu), for wire transfer instructions and to provide details so that we may promptly enter and acknowledge your gift.
More on gifts of cash
You may mail a check on December 31st and, even if the check is not received and cashed by the Institute for Advanced Study until after the new year, the IRS will allow you to take a deduction in the year the check was mailed. Keep this in mind for year-end tax planning.
A Donor Advised Fund might be a great solution for you. You fund a Donor Advised Fund and make charitable gift recommendations to numerous charities. With a DAF, you can make these gifts during your lifetime, and when you pass away, your children can carry on your legacy of giving.
Benefits of a gift made through your donor advised fund
- Establish a flexible vehicle for annual charitable giving
- Benefit from a more tax and cost-efficient alternative to a private foundation
- Obtain a charitable income tax deduction in the year of your gift
How a donor advised fund works
- You make an initial, irrevocable gift of cash or stock to fund a DAF at a sponsoring organization
- The assets in your DAF grow tax-free
- You make annual recommendations on gifts to be made from your DAF
How to make a gift made through your donor advised fund
- Please use the DAF Direct tool on this page to recommend a grant from your Schwab Charitable Fund, Fidelity Charitable Giving Account, or BNY Mellon. You will need to have your Schwab, Fidelity, or BNY Mellon login information available to complete the transaction.
- For other Donor Advised Fund sponsor organizations, contact the fund’s administrator directly to recommend a grant for the Institute for Advanced Study.
Please notify Amy Spears, Director of Development Operations (aspears@ias.edu) of your grant request so that we may promptly enter and acknowledge your gift.
Congress has enacted a permanent IRA charitable rollover. As a result, you can make an IRA rollover gift this year and in future years.
You may be looking for a way to make a big difference to help further IAS’ mission. If you are 70½ or older, you may also be interested in a way to lower the income and taxes from your IRA withdrawals. An IRA charitable rollover is a way you can help continue our work and benefit this year.
Benefits of an IRA charitable rollover
- Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $105,000 from your IRA to the Institute
- May satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year
- Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions
- Make a gift that is not subject to the deduction limits on charitable gifts
- Help further the work and mission of the Institute
How an IRA charitable rollover gift works
- Contact your IRA plan administrator to make a gift from your IRA to us
- Your IRA funds will be directly transferred to the Institute to help continue our important work
- Please note that IRA charitable rollover gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction
- Please contact us if you wish for your gift to be used for a specific purpose
Gifts from your IRA
If you are 70½ or older, you can use your IRA to fulfill your charitable goals. You can use the "Make a Gift From My IRA" tool to contact your IRA custodian and make a qualified charitable distribution. We will acknowledge your generous gifts as a qualified charitable distribution, which may satisfy your RMD, if applicable.
Donating appreciated securities, including stocks or bonds, is an easy and tax-effective way for you to make a gift to the Institute for Advanced Study.
Benefits of gifts of stocks and bonds
- Avoid paying capital gains tax on the sale of appreciated stock
- Receive a charitable income tax deduction
- Further the Institute's mission
- There are special rules for valuing a gift of stock. The value of a charitable gift of stock is determined by taking the mean between the high and low stock price on the date of the gift. Mutual fund shares are valued using the closing price for the fund on the date of the gift.
How to make a gift of stocks and bonds:
Transfer shares to the Institute for Advanced Study’s account at Wells Fargo Advisors:
Francis Buckley
Princeton Wealth Management Group
Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network
182 Nassau Street, Suite 304
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-279-9512 (main)
609-279-9514 (fax)
fran@princetonwmg.com
DTC #0141 First Clearing LLC
FBO Institute for Advanced Study (for IAS account number, please contact Kathleen Eastman - see below)
Financial Consultant #LAW6
Please include your name as well as your account number on the transfer information and notify Amy Spears, Director of Development Operations (aspears@ias.edu), of your gift of appreciated securities so that we may promptly enter and acknowledge your gift.
By certified mail - If you hold securities in certificate form, you will need to mail two envelopes separately to complete your gift. In the first envelope, place the unsigned stock certificate(s). In the other envelope, include a signed stock power for each certificate. You may obtain this power from your broker or bank. Please remember to use certified mail.
There are a variety of ways in which you can make a planned gift to the Institute for Advanced Study and at the same time meet your personal financial goals.
If you would like more information on Planned Giving options, please speak with Diane Guvenis.
Thank you.
Donating part or all of your unused retirement plan assets, such as your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), pension or other tax-deferred plan, is an excellent way to make a gift to the Institute for Advanced Study.
How to make a gift of retirement assets
For further information on leaving your IRA or other retirement plan assets to the Institute, click here.
Acknowledging your gift of retirement assets
Please let us know if you have already included the Institute for Advanced Study as a beneficiary of your retirement plan assets. We would like to thank you and recognize you in the Legacy Society.
A gift of your life insurance policy is an excellent way to make a gift to the Institute for Advanced Study. If you have a life insurance policy that has outlasted its original purpose, consider making a gift of your insurance policy to the Institute for Advanced Study. For example, you may have purchased a policy to provide for minor children and they are now financially independent adults.
Benefits of gifts of life insurance
- Receive a charitable income tax deduction
- If the Institute for Advanced Study retains the policy to maturity, you can receive additional tax deductions by making annual gifts so that we can pay the premiums
- If the Institute for Advanced Study cashes in the policy, you will be able to see firsthand how your gift supports our charitable work
- If we retain the policy to maturity, or you name us as a beneficiary, once the policy matures, the proceeds of your policy will be paid to the Institute so that we can use the proceeds to further our charitable work
How to make a gift of life insurance:
To make a gift of life insurance, please contact your life insurance provider, request a beneficiary designation form from the insurer and include the Institute for Advanced Study as the beneficiary of your policy.
Acknowledging your gift of insurance
Please let us know if you have already named us as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy. We would like to thank you and recognize you for your gift.
Gifts of Real Estate
Donating appreciated real estate, such as a home, vacation property, undeveloped land, farmland, ranch
Gifts of Mineral Interests
A gift of mineral interests (oil, gas, gold, silver, or other precious metals) is an excellent way to make a charitable gift.
Gifts of Business Interests
As a business owner, you have the opportunity not only to build your business and accumulate wealth for yourself and your family, but also to accomplish your philanthropic goals through charitable planning. A gift of your corporate stock or assets can provide you with tax and income benefits.
Contact us
If you have any questions about making a gift of a non-traditional asset, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you and answer your questions.