Gifts to The University of New Mexico Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax attorney or financial advisor to determine if your gift is tax-deductible.

Donors find many advantages in working with The UNM Foundation to support higher education at UNM, including: Uniting donor and University passions and priorities to achieve excellence, giving you the satisfaction of knowing that you influence the future by improving higher education and University research. Responding promptly with an acknowledgement of your gift for tax purposes. Helping unite your passion with UNM's priorities to "give back" to the institution that helped you down the road to success. Providing up-to-date financial information to donors and information about their gift's impact.

Absolutely! The designation of your gift rests entirely in your hands. If you know the name of the department or program, simply indicate it in the memo space on your check or in the comments section of the online giving page. The UNM Foundation gift processing staff will ensure your contribution reaches the proper area. If you need guidance in designating a gift, our staff and development officers are happy to provide information about UNM's greatest needs at a University level and department or college level.

Yes. Private donations help with the construction and renovation of buildings and facilities, such as labs, libraries and lecture halls on campus. Our staff or the development officer for a particular area can direct you toward any current building or maintenance projects that need additional support. Another great way to improve campus facilities is to make a contribution to a department or college for equipment or supplies needed in that discipline, whether for a lab or instructional equipment.

Absolutely. Many donors contribute funds to honor a loved one or special individual. If you would like to make your gift in honor or memory of another person, just let us know the details. The UNM Foundation staff is happy to carry out your wishes.

Yes. Gift pledges to the UNM Foundation can be paid in monthly, quarterly or even annual installments after an initial payment. You can pledge online or contact our gift processing department to setup a pledge payment.

Yes. If you donate art, equipment and/or supplies, which are referred to as gifts-in-kind, you will receive a gift acknowledgement for items given. Donors must submit documentation through a receipt, invoice or other appraisal instrument at the time the gift-in-kind occurs in order to establish a value for the donated items. It is the donor's responsibility to determine the value of their gift-in-kind for tax purposes.

Pursuant to IRS guidelines, donors cannot receive significant benefits (1) for grants recommended from Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) or (2) from gifts made through Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from their retirement accounts. Accordingly, such grants/gifts cannot be used as payment — either partially or wholly— for dues toward any membership if that membership provides prohibited goods and/or benefits to the donor. However, if all prohibited goods and benefits of the membership are fully waived by the donor, payment via a DAF or a through a QCD is acceptable.

The size of the gift you make is entirely up to you. Donations of all sizes are vital and gratefully accepted. Every dollar the University receives has the potential for exponential growth, since it helps UNM improve its most valuable resources—instruction, research, and health care—for the benefit of statewide communities. Some donors find they can achieve their charitable goals through the Foundation's many giving opportunities, such as life insurance, property, real estate and securities, that don't require a large sum of cash on hand. Pledges may also help achieve your goals as a donor. Bear in mind that you may be able to double or even triple your gift by taking advantage of your employer's matching gift for higher education program.

As soon as the UNM Foundation receives your gift, we place it in the designated fund. At the same time, the gift processing staff generates a gift receipt mailed to you for tax purposes generally within the same week. If you do not receive a formal acknowledgement within three weeks, please contact the Foundation at 505-313-7600. Please consult your tax attorney or financial advisor for tax advice.

In accordance with University policy, all private gifts are received through the UNM Foundation, which has the responsibility for managing contributions to all UNM programs. Gifts to the UNM Foundation are tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to the: "University of New Mexico Foundation" and indicate the fund name, department or purpose for which they're intended in the memo section. You can mail your check to: Two Woodward Center, 700 Lomas Blvd. NE., Albuquerque, NM 87102.

It is our policy to only publicly acknowledge that a gift has been made; we do not share the gift amount unless the donor has authorized us to do so.

The staff of the University of New Mexico Foundation is knowledgeable, discreet and happy to assist you in any way possible. In addition, many UNM colleges, schools and departments have development officers who work closely with donors to unite donors and University passions and priorities to achieve excellence. Please contact a development officer in your area of interest for more information about giving opportunities, or call the UNM Foundation’s main office at 505-313-7600.

The UNM Foundation enjoys the opportunity to publicize donor gifts in an effort to recognize donor generosity. This good news lets others know about the increasing importance of supporting higher education at state universities. Publicity could include press releases, articles in state newspapers, feature stories in University or Foundation publications or recognition in Foundation brochures. However, the UNM Foundation respects your desire for anonymity to the full extent allowed. At the time of your donation, please indicate that you do not wish your name to appear in any form of publicity.

Donors may establish an endowment fund to ensure a gift's long-lasting impact for UNM. Because only investment returns are typically disbursed, your gift continues in perpetuity. The UNM Foundation's endowment funds are invested and managed by the Foundation's Investment Committee in consultation with investment advisors. Each spring, the Committee meets to review the endowment's allocation, performance and policies to determine the amount of money to be disbursed to each of the endowed academic and athletic scholarships and programs maintained by the UNM Foundation.

Unrestricted gifts provide a funding source for UNM that is not limited to a specific program, college or department. These gifts are used where most needed throughout the institution, including resources to recruit top faculty, create scholarship programs and internship opportunities and enhance the overall academic life of the campus. On the other hand, restricted gifts are earmarked for specific purposes chosen by the donor, such as an endowed scholarship or professorship, program or building. Although both unrestricted and restricted gifts are welcome, unrestricted gifts are of critical importance because they allow the University to provide funding in the areas of greatest need to meet unexpected challenges, take advantage of unique opportunities and meet the many budget challenges of the current higher education environment.

UNM offers resources no other university in the state can match. UNM has the state’s only schools of medicine, law, pharmacy, and architecture as well as nationally ranked programs in medicine, engineering, law, and the arts. UNM confers over 80% of the graduate and professional degrees in the state. What’s more, UNM is recognized as place where people of diverse backgrounds find welcoming connections to new opportunities. There is simply no other place in New Mexico where your investment can contribute more to the education of our state and nation’s future leaders.
UNM is addressing the most crucial higher education issues. Our access to excellence in education coupled with our commitment to student access and affordability make UNM unique among the nation’s public research universities.
At 42%, UNM has the highest percentage of Hispanic and Native American students of any flagship university in the country. The diversity of UNM’s student population gives donors a unique way to connect with new cultures, and the chance to work in an area with unique demographics.
The University of New Mexico is a major economic force in New Mexico. It is one of the state’s largest employers and trains many of New Mexico’s leaders – UNM educates one-third of the state’s doctors, one-third of its lawyers, one-quarter of its public school teachers, and half of the state’s pharmacists. And yet, the university receives approximately 18% of its annual operating budget from state funds. Much more can be done to attract and retain New Mexico’s students and help make our state a model for the world.
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Many companies offer employees—and sometimes spouses and retirees—a matching-gift benefit that doubles or triples their donations to higher education. Companies have various methods by which you can submit your matching gift request: online forms, automated phone systems, or paper forms that you submit to the UNM Foundation. Please visit your human resources office to learn more about matching-gift donations.