Ways to Give

Every gift is designated as either unrestricted or directed, and as either for current use or for the Wrigley Institute endowment.

Unrestricted gifts are among the most valuable to the Wrigley Institute, because they allow us to allocate funds wherever the need is greatest, and to take advantage of unique opportunities as they arise.

Directed gifts allow you to designate your gift to a specific program or priority area at the Wrigley Institute. This type of gift gives you the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting a program that is personally meaningful to you.

Current use gifts provide the institute with funds and flexibility over the short term. Current-use gifts support individual faculty or student research projects, special events and educational programs, the purchase of new lab equipment, and other immediate needs.

Endowment gifts provide the institute with long-term financial security. These gifts generate income used for purposes such as faculty positions, student scholarships and fellowships, and broad-based interdisciplinary research projects.

Cash gifts can be made through our online giving portal, or through checks or money orders made payable to “USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability.” Please mail checks to USC Gift Services, USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, 1150 S. Olive St., 25th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90015.

Many employers will match your gift to the Wrigley Institute. Fill out the matching gift details when making an online contribution, or send in your employer’s matching gift form when mailing a cash contribution.

Appreciated securities, stocks, or bonds often provide tax advantages when transferred to the Wrigley Institute before they are sold, especially if they have been held for more than one year. For more information on this type of gift, please contact the Dornsife Office of Advancement at  213-740-4990 or advancement@dornsife.usc.edu.

Gifts of real estate may include gifts of personal residences, second homes, income property, or vacant land and usually offer tax and other benefits. While donors typically give their entire interest in a property, you can also give only a portion of the property (known as an undivided percentage interest) while retaining the rest for other purposes. For more information about this type of gift, please contact the Dornsife Office of Advancement at (213) 740-4990 or advancement@dornsife.usc.edu.

For many thoughtful alumni, parents, and friends, planned giving is a useful way to support the Wrigley Institute while fulfilling personal financial-planning objectives. The institute’s planned giving experts can help you create guaranteed retirement income or reduce your estate or capital gains taxes while also making a meaningful gift to the Wrigley Institute.

Contrary to popular belief, you need not be wealthy to leave a legacy. Planned giving can be as simple as including a bequest provision in your will or naming the Wrigley Institute as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy or retirement plan. Regardless of its size, your gift will make a meaningful difference in the lives of students and faculty at Wrigley.

A pledge is a formal statement of your intent to make a gift to the university. With a pledge, you may complete your gift by making regular payments over time, allowing you to give more generously than you originally may have considered. Plus, each payment toward your pledge may be eligible for an income tax deduction.

Our online giving portal is a convenient option for gifts of $1,000 or less. You can also give by texting “Wrigley” to 41444.