Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» offers a variety of options for giving, allowing you to choose the method that best aligns with your preferences and goals.
You can contribute to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» in several meaningful ways, including making a direct financial donation online or by mail for immediate impact. Volunteering your time and expertise is another valuable way to benefit the university community. Additionally, transferring appreciated securities through stock donations provides a tax-efficient method to assist Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³». Each of these methods helps advance the university’s mission and strengthen its educational programs and resources.
We deeply appreciate your generosity—whether you choose to give today or explore the options below, your support means a great deal.
Make a gift whenever the Panther spirit moves you! The most common type of donations to the university are spontaneous, made by generous alumni and friends of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» after speaking with one of our students on the phone, reading an issue of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» magazine, attending a campus event, or participating in our annual 37 Hours of Giving. These gifts may be unrestricted or designated for specific use by the donor.
A gift to the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Endowment is an investment in students, innovation, and the future. Endowment support provides stable, long‑term funding that strengthens scholarships, faculty excellence, cutting‑edge research, and academic programs. By growing the endowment, your philanthropy helps attract top students and faculty, expands access to a Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» education, and fuels discoveries that solve real‑world problems. Most importantly, endowment gifts are preserved and invested to generate impact year after year, creating a lasting legacy that benefits generations of Panthers to come.
Donors often offer in-kind donations of valuable property, including but not limited to equipment, artwork, vehicles, or real estate. As a policy, if accepted, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» will typically sell in-kind gifts unless otherwise agreed to. In-Kind gifts may, under some circumstances, be counted for fundraising purposes, but are always greatly appreciated and often bring important resources to our educational and research missions.
Additionally, vehicle donations can be made on our .
The experience, talents, and wisdom you have gained in your life can be your greatest gift to the university! We invite you to consider volunteering to participate on an advisory board, giving a virtual lecture for fellow alumni and students, or coaching current/future Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» students through their college decision-making process, choice of major, senior projects, and career searches.
With your knowledge and expertise, you have the power to:
Add unique and lasting value to students' Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» experience
Help the university attract, engage, and enroll high-performing students
Increase the reach and impact of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»'s regional and affiliation networks
Support the professional development of fellow Panthers
You may currently work for a company that offers volunteer grants!
There is perhaps no better, more lasting, or more literal way to make your mark at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» than to name a part of campus that means something to you.
Named Programs and Spaces
Naming a College or Department not only secures resources to help raise our level of excellence and to enable growth in research and teaching but also gives an identity for prospective students and faculty and enhances the reputation of the university.
Donors create a visible legacy when they name buildings, classrooms, lecture halls, gardens, and other areas of the university. Named spaces help us to personalize campus and create a warmer feeling when directing visitors.
Category
Minimum Giving Amount
College
$25 million
Building
$10 million
School, Department or Center
$5 million
All named spaces will need to be reviewed and approved by university leadership.
Faculty Chairs ($2.5M)
Faculty Chairs allow Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» to recruit and retain the best faculty in their fields. For a donor, a faculty chair provides perpetual recognition that will, over time, create a long line of outstanding academic leaders. Faculty chairs secure the university's ability to sustain their specific area of study, research and teaching. They add distinction and recognition to the university and its departments.
Faculty Professorships ($1M)
A professorship at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» supports the research of its appointed faculty member. These are awarded to distinguished faculty who have exhibited outstanding achievement and/or promise of achievement in their fields. Funding from the professorship is used by the faculty member to advance their research and academic programs as a critical part of the university's mission. Examples include giving faculty holders the ability to conduct pilot research projects or to support student research under their supervision.
Student Fellowship Funds ($100,000)
Fellowship Funds are awarded by faculty primarily in support of graduate students. These funds allow students to pursue research projects as part of their education and to participate in conferences, symposia, field trips and other relevant activities for their development professionally. Fellowships are especially important for promising future researchers and academics and can play a role in supporting them during the most vital early years of their careers.
Student Scholarship Funds ($50,000)
One of the most essential giving opportunities for Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» are scholarship funds which allow the university to support students. Every student who is qualified to attend Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» should be able to afford to come regardless of their family financial circumstances. For this reason, need-based scholarships are particularly important. In addition, merit-based awards help Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» to recruit the most talented students who will bring to the campus particular academic strength, curiosity and potential to excel.
Endowed Funds ($25,000)
Endowed funds are invested as part of the university's investment pool. They require a minimum of twenty-five thousand ($25,000) to establish or name a fund. Gifts less than fifty thousand (< $50,000) may be used for general support or to increase other existing endowments.
You may currently work for a company that offers payroll giving.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» has partnered with Freewill. to help you get started on your estate plans online for Free. You can use this tool on your own or use it in conjunction with an attorney to save time and money.
One of the most advantageous ways to contribute to the university is through a gift of stock. Making a gift of securities is simple and offers a number of benefits:
You can donate appreciated stocks, bonds or mutual funds
The total value of the stock upon transfer is tax-deductible
There is no obligation to pay any capital gains taxes on the appreciation
The university recommends that you consult with your tax advisor regarding your specific tax situation.
Procedures for Stock Gifts
The donor or donor’s broker should inform the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Office of Advancement via email to gifts@fit.edu of the following information:
Name of donor
Name of company/security
Ticker symbol or CUSIP
Number of shares
Broker contact information, and
Designation language, for example: “given for the benefit of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»” or if restricted, specific language as to the donor’s intent.
It is important that you authorize your broker to disclose to the university your name and the details pertaining to the stock transfer. This will allow us to efficiently identify the gift when it arrives and to acknowledge it.
If you have any questions, need assistance or would like to transfer stock certificates held by you, please contact the Advancement Office at (321) 674-8569, or by email to gifts@fit.edu.
Donate a car, truck, motorcycle, boat, or RV in support of our students, facilities and faculty. Donating a vehicle is easy and your gift qualifies for a tax deduction! Simply call us toll-free or complete the online vehicle donation form, and we’ll pick up your vehicle for free at a time that works best for you.
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To make a wire transfer or automated clearing house (ACH) transfer to benefit a fund, department or program at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³», please contact us at gifts@fit.edu.
