Private support — gifts from corporations, foundations, alumni and friends of the University of Florida — is the mechanism by which our school has established itself as a state-assisted institution. Less than half of our budget is now provided by the state of Florida. This enables our university to set its own track record of success by attracting the best students and faculty, providing funds for program improvement and facility enhancement, and securing monies for the general university endowment.

By giving to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, you are providing support that will not only maintain the program of education you remember, but also improve the quality and competitiveness the College needs to compete nationally.

Whether you fund an endowed professorship or fellowship, an individual department, or the general fund, your money will make a difference and leave your mark on the college. Giving to the college allows you to take part in something you love, gives you some ownership of your alma mater, and helps create strong connections to campus. With this investment, you are cementing the foundation of education offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and enhancing its prestige.

Any gift you make is an investment, and most investment decisions include thought and discussion. Please contact the Office of Advancement to let us know how we can facilitate your decision.

The Importance of Charitable Giving

Making charitable contributions is an art — a creative process that adapts to the changing needs and wishes of the donor. Charitable giving enables a donor to arrange contributions in ways that maximize personal objectives while minimizing the after-tax cost. Depending on the asset given and the gift arrangement selected, a donor may expect to obtain some or all of the following benefits:

• Fulfill philanthropic goals
• Reduce income tax through a deduction for the gift
• Avoid capital-gains tax on gifts of long-term appreciated property
• Retain a stream of income for life

Annual Giving seeks recurring gifts from alumni, families, friends, faculty, staff and students in support of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

This support can be provided through a variety of giving vehicles including cash, pledges, and gifts of stock or securities. Regardless of the size of the gift, each is impactful on the college’s ability to provide a diverse and foundational education experience while teaching a majority of the university’s core curriculum each year.

Alumni participation is also a key metric for publications, like U.S. News & World Report, in their college and university rankings.  As UF strives for a top 5 ranking among public universities, alumni participation demonstrates the Gator Nation’s commitment to supporting our outstanding students and faculty, groundbreaking research and exceptional programs. YOU are helping ensure that a great UF experience is available for generations to come.

Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees.

We are grateful to the many corporations that match employees’ charitable contributions, greatly enhancing the value of their gifts and our academic programs.

If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed with your gift. We will do the rest. The impact of your gift to our organization may be doubled or possibly tripled! Some companies match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses.

Endowments provide perpetual income for the college through investment of principal funds. These gifts may be unrestricted, providing for the greatest needs of the college, or restricted to a particular use.

Endowments are established with a minimum of $30,000 through outright gifts, pledges paid over a period of years, deferred gifts, such as trusts or insurance expectancies, and through estate plans. Following are several types of endowments that can be established by alumni and friends to support quality a liberal arts education now and into the future. (minimum contribution shown)

Endowed Chairs and Professorships aid in the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty by generating income for salary supplements and teaching/research support.

• Chair – $2 million contribution
• Professorship – $1 million contribution
• Faculty Fellowship- $500,000 contribution

Endowed Scholarships or Fellowships are an important tool in ensuring that students have the opportunity to pursue quality education. Scholarships may be awarded based on need and/or merit.

Alumni and friends can make a planned gift to CLAS through vehicles like their will, IRA or estate plan to help provide future students with the transformative liberal arts and sciences education offered at the University of Florida.

As the oldest and largest college at the University of Florida, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) embodies an incredible legacy. Our students receive a high quality, well-rounded education and graduate prepared for successful careers in healthcare, science and technology, business, public service and beyond.

The influence your legacy gift can have is limitless. From supporting scholarships and student programs to enabling the college to recruit top faculty and provide state-of-the-art technology, your planned gift will work through future students to ultimately benefit communities around the world.

Documenting your gift allows us to ensure that your contribution supports the area most important to you and inspires others to do the same.

Gifts of real estate can significantly enhance university productivity and performance and provide substantial tax benefits for donors.

The University of Florida Foundation (UFF) welcomes and encourages gifts of real estate. Although the university has made great use of unique properties, most real estate gifts are sold and the proceeds are invested in areas of campus designated by the donor.

Although most gifts are given outright, many also fund charitable remainder trusts (CRT) that pay income to the donor or other beneficiaries designated by the donor.

UFF has experienced real estate and other professional staff to assist donors and their advisers who are considering gifts of real estate. Our procedures (both trust & non-trust) for accepting real estate gifts are simple, and our comprehensive real estate policy provides assurance that gifts will be handled professionally to achieve the charitable goals envisioned by donors.

If you have a property that you are considering donating to charity, please call 352-294-1971 or email. Our staff will promptly get in touch with you to arrange a confidential evaluation of the property.