Making your gift online is a convenient and secure option that also helps reduce gift processing costs, which means more of the money raised goes where it is needed most. The university accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

Give by phone by calling 1-877-349-2106.

To mail your gift, print and complete a pledge form and include  your check, credit card information or money order. Please make checks payable to USC Educational Foundation and include your gift designation in the memo line. Gifts without a designation will be applied to the Carolina Fund of the College of Social Work and used toward areas of greatest need. Gifts should be mailed to:

University of South Carolina
Office of Gift Processing
1027 Barnwell Street
Columbia, SC 29208

Many employers offer gift matching programs to double or triple your gift. To find out if your company has a matching gifts policy, check the university's matching gifts database or contact your benefits administrator.

Endowments use interest earned from donated principal to fund headships, directorships, professorships, scholarships, fellowships and even entire academic programs. They are gifts held in perpetuity and invested in a manner protecting the principal from inflation. The investment income provides a stable funding source for the purpose of your choice.

USC has received and managed hundreds of endowment gifts over the years. Collectively, these gifts make up the university endowment. 

Charitable remainder trusts can provide you with a lifetime annual income stream, a portion of which may be tax-free in exchange for your contribution, as well as a charitable income-tax deduction. Charitable remainder unitrusts provide a variable annual income. Payment is based on a fixed percentage of the net fair market value of the trust assets as valued each year. The USC Foundation can act as trustee. The minimum amount required to establish a charitable remainder unitrust is $50,000.

Tax Implications

• Beneficiary is taxed on income received (ordinary income or capital gain).

Benefits

• Tax deduction is based on the value of the assets transferred to fund the unitrust.
• Avoidance of capital gains tax

Charitable gift annuities can also provide you with a lifetime annual income stream, a portion of which may be tax-free in exchange for your contribution, as well as a charitable income-tax deduction. A charitable gift annuity is an agreement under which the University of South Carolina agrees to pay you or other beneficiaries a fixed income for life in exchange for a gift of cash, marketable securities, or approved real estate. The minimum donation required to fund a charitable gift annuity is $5,000. The annuity rate is based on your age and/or the age of other beneficiaries. Charitable gift annuities are issued through the USC Foundation.

Tax Implications

• A portion of the annuity payment initially is tax-free.
• A portion may be taxed as capital gain if funded with appreciated property.
• The balance of the payment is taxed as ordinary income.

Benefits

• Fixed annual income for life
• Tax deduction based on the value of the assets and annuity rate
• Reduced capital gains tax

Deferred or planned gifts, such as bequests, life-insurance gifts, gifts of real estate and irrevocable trusts, enable you to support the college, school or program of your choice through your estate plan.

As with outright gifts, any planned or deferred gift contribution may be designated for a particular purpose or undesignated. An undesignated gift provides the College of Social Work with the flexibility to meet our highest priorities. Gifts not designated for a specific purpose (unrestricted gifts) are critically important because they allow the college to respond quickly and positively to needs as they arise. Unrestricted funds can mean the difference between a missed opportunity and a breakthrough discovery, improved student learning or a new experience significantly impacting our students.