Frequently Asked Questions
General Giving Questions
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â is fortunate to have a substantial endowment, just over $1 billion. However, only about 16% of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s annual budget is obtained from the endowment each year. Also, in order to generate endowment income equal to the amount raised by annual funds last year, the endowment would have needed to grow an additional $42 million.
Annual giving dollars go immediately back to the students by providing scholarships, securing the finest faculty, improving technology, among other great needs. Regardless of size, your support is important and does make a difference to the students of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â.
Every tax-deductible gift makes a difference to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. Your gift sends a powerful message that you support this institution and its educational mission, and it has made a difference in your life. Gifts of all sizes make an impact. Some foundations and other grant-making organizations look at the number of gifts rather than total amounts when determining grant requests. Your gift, viewed as a vote of confidence, could help °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â secure thousands of dollars in funding.
Tuition, fees, and endowment income don’t cover the total cost of what it takes to provide an °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â education each year. In fact, tuition covers only about 71% of the entire cost of an °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â degree. Many people don’t realize that alumni have always supported the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Fund to help defray the cost of rising tuition.
Alumni, parents, and friends contribute to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Fund each year and help meet the University’s ongoing need for flexible, unrestricted income to support our academic missions.Last year alone, thousands of donors provided significant support to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Fund that helped the University:
- Attract and maintain world-class faculty in each department
- Continue its commitment to need-based financial aid
- Keep our library up-to-date with the information our students need to support their educational experience
- Purchase research materials and technologies used by our faculty and students
- Provide support for every facet of the student experience
Simply put, as an °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Fund participant, you help °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â continue to grow as an incomparable place of higher learning.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â depends on continuing annual support from alumni, parents and friends. To remain competitive among its peer institutions °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â seeks to maintain a rate of 23-24% giving by its alumni every year. Please make your annual gift by May 31, the end of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s fiscal year.
You can expect to hear from °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â regularly as we continue general fundraising initiatives and begin new projects that enhance the various areas of this great university.
June 1 – May 31: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s fundraising cycle – All alumni are scheduled to receive various mail and email solicitations during a fundraising cycle. Current °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â students also make phone calls through the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â TelePony program.
General communications alumni can expect to receive from °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â:
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Magazine: Comprehensive °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â coverage – Stay connected with °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â through human interest stories about other alumni, faculty and students. Read class notes to keep in touch with your peers and see the accomplishments of others. Let others know what you’ve been up to as well. Receive one issue each fall and one each spring.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Update: Electronic newsletter – Keep up with current news from the Hilltop, test your knowledge of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s history and post photos of you and your family through this interactive e-newsletter. You will receive one every month.
Event Invitations: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â in your backyard – °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Chapters welcome alumni, parents and friends in cities all over the country. Events are held periodically to unite area alumni through their common °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â connection. Invitations for these events are sent through the mail and via email using the contact information you provide us.
Absolutely. In your reunion year, your gift IS your Reunion Class Gift. In addition to your annual commitment to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â, we hope that you will make that meaningful “stretch” gift during your reunion year to show how much your °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â experience meant to you. Many alumni choose to make this commitment by setting up a recurring gift that will extend until their next reunion in five years.
There are several ways for you to make your gift to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â:
- . We currently accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
- To make a credit card gift over the phone, contact:
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Office of Gift Administration
214-768-3739
gifts@smu.edu - You can make a gift by writing a check payable to “°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â” and send it to:
Office of Gift Administration
Mailing address: PO Box 750402, Dallas, TX 75275-0402
Physical address: 6425 Boaz Ln, Suite G03, Dallas, TX 75205 - You may also call °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s Office of Annual Giving at 1-800-768-9996.
Thanks for designating your company’s to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. If you or your spouse work for a matching gift company, and you direct it to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â along with your gift, you will be given credit for the total amount. In order to complete the transaction, you must request the paperwork from your company’s human resources department and send the form to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â with your gift. We then complete our portion and return it to your company.
If you don’t know if your company matches charitable donations, to find out.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s tax ID number is 175-0800689-1.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Endowment
Learn about , and be a part of defining the second century of unbridled achievement at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. To make your impact on °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â, you can call 214-768-1911 or e-mail plannedgiving@smu.edu. We can answer your questions and provide the next steps.
Yes. Gifts to the endowment fund’s principal or operating accounts can be made at any time. can help direct a gift to the appropriate fund.
Yes. Gifts to an endowment fund’s principal or operating accounts can be made by anyone. There are named endowments and more general endowments that support specific schools or priorities. can help direct a gift to the appropriate fund.
You may be able to take on more investment risk and thus receive a better return. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â, on the other hand, has a fiscal responsibility to its students, parents, faculty, and staff to weigh risk carefully, while at the same time investing prudently.
By adding your gift to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Endowment you increase its opportunity for more rapid growth. The data clearly demonstrate that universities with larger endowments experience faster and greater growth. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s endowment took 80 years to reach $500 million. Reaching that milestone enabled the endowment to double in size to over $1 billion in only 10 years. Your gift not only invests for the future, but it works for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â today.
The University’s Chief Investment Officer and an Investment Committee appointed by the .
There are several options. First, remember that gifts of any size to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â endowment are welcome and appreciated. Also, you might consider a planned gift, such as a bequest in your will, an insurance policy, or a retirement fund designation. Some donors choose a retained life estate, for a future gift of their home or farm. Other gifts, through an annuity or trust, can provide both life income and support for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. Some of these have significant tax benefits to the donor. You can contact the to get more information.
Telepony Student Callers
We call on weeknight evenings and weekends. We do not call after 9:00 pm for any time zone. If you would like to schedule a call from a student at a specific time, please email telepony@smu.edu with your request.
Although our students enjoy speaking to you and greatly appreciate your support, we realize you may not want to receive these types of calls.
To request to be removed from our calling list, you can email telepony@smu.edu or call 1-800-768-9996.
Thank you, we appreciate your support of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â! You can make a credit card gift to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â using our or call 1-800-768-9996 to make a gift over the phone. You can also email telepony@smu.edu to request a phone call with a student at a specific time of day.
You can call 1-800-768-9996 or email telepony@smu.edu to communicate your experience directly to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Annual Giving Office. We greatly appreciate your feedback, it helps us to enhance our program, that ultimately benefits °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â!
Yes, it is safe and secure. The student will enter your credit card information into our system, it will be processed by °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â the next day. If you are concerned about giving your credit card information over the phone, you can make your credit card payment through our secure or you can make your contribution by check.
If you are concerned about a call you receive, please ask to speak to the call center manager directly. You can also email telepony@smu.edu to verify °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â is calling you. We will respond to your email within 48 hours.
Faculty and Staff Questions
It’s up to you.There are a variety of areas to support, and your donation can support a school dean’s fund, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Fund, , or building/capital project. If you want to support President’s Partners, your money will be used by departments applying for those funds.
Yes! continues to be a strategic funding priority for the University. All gifts to President’s Partners will be counted in the campaign.
Your name will be included on donor lists unless you choose to opt out of our donor lists. If you are a member, your name and gift amount will be published on that list according to giving level and the number of years you’ve given; however, you may also choose to opt out of that list.
If you have additional questions, please email gifts@smu.edu.
Tribute Giving
Yes. For more information on creating a new fund or endowment, please contact Tim Aronson with the Office of Gift Planning, at taronson@smu.edu.
It is important to contact Donor Relations or email gifts@smu.edu prior to asking for memorial gifts from friends and family so we can ensure funds are directed into the correct account.
When requesting memorial gifts in an obituary, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â recommends using the following language:
The family requests that memorial gifts be made in support of the [specified fund] at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. Checks made payable to “°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â” can be mailed to:
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Office of Development
c/o Gift Processing
PO Box 750402
Dallas TX 75275-0402
Or you may make a gift online at . Please indicate that the gift is in memory of [name] by writing a memo on your check or marking the “in memory of” box when making a gift online.
Yes, please contact the Office of Donor Relations at donorrelations@smu.edu.
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The only pavers currently available are through °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Libraries. Library furniture is still available as follows:
- A chair in the Centennial Reading Room ($500)
- A small table in the Centennial Reading Room ($2,500)
- A large table in the Centennial Reading Room ($5,000)
Contact the Office of Donor Relations at donorrelations@smu.edu for more information.