Giving FAQ
How do I make a gift?
Can my gift be designated to a specific area or department at the university?
How do I participate in a matching gift program?
How do I make a gift in honor of or in memory of someone?
Is my gift tax deductible?
Will I get a receipt for tax purposes?
What is the campaign reinvestment fee?
Whom can I contact with more questions about making a gift?
- Give online: You can make a gift right now.
- Send a check: Checks should be made payable to one of the university’s four affiliated philanthropic foundations (VCU Foundation, MCV Foundation, School of Business Foundation, College of Engineering Foundation) and mailed to:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Gifts and Records Management
Box 843042
Richmond, VA 23284-3042
- Call or email: If you would prefer to make your gift over the phone, you can contact the school’s or program’s development office or call (804) 828-9430. If you have a question or request for Gifts and Records Management, please email giving@vcu.edu. Please do not send credit card information via email or fax.
- Make a pledge: If you prefer to make a gift over time instead of making a one-time payment, you can pledge the amount of your total gift and pay the balance in increments. Please contact the school’s or program’s development office for a pledge form, or make your pledge online. VCU employees can also make gifts online via payroll deduction.
- Make a deferred gift: If you would like to include VCU in your estate plan or if you would like information on how to make a more complex gift, please contact the school’s or program’s development office or Ann Deppman, assistant vice president of gift planning, at (804) 828-7370.
Can my gift be designated to a specific area or department at the university?
Yes, your gift can be designated to an area of your choice. Simply include your intentions in a short letter or in the memo line of your check.
Checks should be made payable to the entity receiving the gift. For example, to make a gift to the Marianne Burns Brown Memorial Scholarship in the School of World Studies, make the check payable to the VCU Foundation and write “Marianne Burns Brown Memorial Scholarship” in the memo line.
How do I participate in a matching gift program?
Corporate matching gift programs contribute more than a billion dollars annually to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. alone, and they are a valuable source of philanthropic support for VCU. Corporate matching gifts can help donors double their gift. Corporate matches also help VCU build valuable partnerships with the business community.
VCU is pleased to offer our donors an online matching gifts directory where you can research your company’s matching gift program and download matching gift forms. Matching gift verification forms can be mailed to:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Gifts and Records Management
Box 843042
Richmond, VA 23284-3042
For more information about VCU’s matching gift program, contact Gifts and Records Management at matchinggift@vcu.edu.
How do I make a gift in honor of or in memory of someone?
If you would like to make a gift in honor or memory of someone, please note the person’s name in the memo line. Checks should be made payable to the foundation receiving the gift. If possible, please include family contact and family address so we can notify them of your gift. Dollar amounts are not shared.
If you are interested in establishing an endowed fund in honor or in memory of someone, please contact the school’s or program’s development office.
Is my gift tax-deductible?
Yes. In general, gifts benefiting the university are tax-deductible. Please contact your tax adviser for more information.
Will I get a receipt for tax purposes?
Tax receipts are generally mailed within a week after we receive your donation or emailed to you immediately after making a gift online. For gifts made through payroll deduction, an annual tax receipt is sent in January with a giving summary for the prior year.
What is the campaign reinvestment fee?
On par with similar research universities statewide and nationally, VCU maintains a campaign reinvestment fee on all qualifying gifts to further fund its development and alumni relations efforts.
Whom can I contact with more questions about making a gift?
If you have additional questions about making a gift, please contact the school’s or program’s development office. You can also contact You also can contact Jenn Papenfuse (M.P.A.'06/GPA; Cert.'06/H&S), senior director of stewardship programs.