Gift Opportunities

Alumni and friends of Merced College can make gifts in several ways such as cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, personal property, gifts in kind and planned gifts, provided the gift is applicable to the mission of the college. All gifts should be made payable to:

Merced College Foundation
3600 M Street
Merced, CA 95348-2898

Gifts of appreciated property such as stocks, bonds, real estate and personal property allow donors to avoid capital gains tax while receiving a deduction for the fair market value of the contribution on the date the gift is made. Gifts in kind other than appreciated property such as professional services can be given provided the gift is applicable to the mission of the college.

Donors may choose to restrict a gift for a specific purpose or make an unrestricted gift. Unrestricted gifts provide Merced College with resources that can be distributed to support projects, programs and other high priority needs at the discretion of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Restricted gifts can be made to benefit specific programs or departments, at the donor's discretion, or to establish a scholarship in the donor’s name. Whether restricted or not, gifts can be made to establish a permanent endowment, whereby only the earnings from the gifts are spent to benefit the college. The Foundation currently requires a gift or gifts totaling $10,000 to establish an endowment.

The Foundation is offering gift annuities, which allows donors to make a significant charitable contribution while guaranteeing a fixed income for life. Through our gift annuity program, donors can address their financial needs and their philanthropic goals. Gift annuities are the oldest form of estate planning aside from bequests.