Donor Information

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When you invest in an endowed scholarship, you are putting a Colgate education within reach for the best and brightest students, regardless of socioeconomic background. You are transforming the lives of brilliant students who will one day profoundly impact the world.

Our Scholarship Philosophy

Students who receive endowed scholarships help Colgate University convey the impact of financial aid to our generous donors. We invite and encourage scholarship recipients to share their Colgate stories with donors in ways that feel comfortable to them. While many scholarship recipients are eager to participate, we cannot require their participation. Each year you can expect to receive a financial summary of your endowed scholarship and a notification about the student(s) who is receiving the scholarship.

 

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Our Commitment to You

Colgate University takes seriously its responsibility for prudent fund management, transparency, and accountability. As the donor of an endowed scholarship, you will receive an annual report on your fund. This report will include:

  • a fund financial summary,
  • a notification about the scholarship recipient(s),
  • an update on the University’s pooled endowment, and
  • stories of endowment impact.

You will begin to receive these reports annually in the fall after your endowed scholarship has been fully funded.

Make an Impact

Join the community of donors who support financial aid and the Colgate Commitment, the University’s initiative in making its quality education affordable and accessible to as many talented, high-achieving students as possible. You can make an impact on students by making a gift of any size to financial aid or by establishing an endowed scholarship with a minimum gift of $250,000. 

If you wish to create an endowed scholarship, the University will work with you to create a deed of gift, an agreement that documents the administration of your endowed scholarship. Then you will fund the scholarship with a minimum gift of $250,000, payable over five years or through your estate, and the University will invest your gift in its pooled endowment. After you fully fund the scholarship, Colgate students will benefit from your generosity in perpetuity, and each year the University will report to you on the scholarship’s financial status and impact.

For more information, please contact donorrelations@colgate.edu.

Scholarship Timeline

  1. June: Current students receive financial aid offers
  2. October: Students are matched with endowed scholarships in support of their financial aid packages
  3. November: Students are notified about their endowed scholarships and requested to share their Colgate story with scholarship contacts
  4. December–February: Endowed scholarship contacts receive information about the student recipients
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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you may create an endowed scholarship for a minimum gift of $250,000, payable over five years. Scholarships are often named for donors, or in honor or in memory of family members, professors, or other special people in one’s life. Alternatively, you may contribute a gift of any amount to an existing endowed scholarship.

A minimum gift of $250,000, payable over five years, is required to create an endowed scholarship.

When establishing an endowed scholarship, you may specify a preference to guide the selection of the recipient(s), but you may not participate in the selection per IRS rules. Whenever possible, the University will select students who satisfy the preference of the scholarship. Preferences are limited to major, involvement in particular Colgate activities or athletic teams, career interests, and geographic location with the United States.

To help balance donor preferences and legal requirements, the University selects the recipients of endowed scholarships using the “pool and match” method. With this method, the University pools together the financial aid made available through endowed scholarships and then matches individual students to the endowed scholarships, taking into account the preferences of the donors. It is important to note that the University does not use endowed scholarships to recruit students and only matches scholarships to students who opt in to the selection process.

You can expect to receive an annual financial summary on the endowed fund and a notification about the student(s) who is receiving the scholarship.

Each year the Office of Donor Relations will notify you about the student(s) who is receiving the scholarship you established. 

Student contact information is confidential and cannot be shared without a student’s permission. However, the Office of Donor Relations can serve as an intermediary. Feel free to send your message to donorrelations@colgate.edu or the Office of Donor Relations, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346. We will pass your message and contact information along to the applicable student, but we cannot require a response from the student.

All scholarship recipients are invited and encouraged to share their Colgate story with scholarship donors and contacts. Many students are eager to share their stories, but others may not feel comfortable doing so. Whenever possible, the Office of Donor Relations will share messages from the specific recipient who is receiving your endowed scholarship; however, we cannot require scholarship recipients to write thank you notes.

If you would like to meet the recipient(s) of your endowed scholarship, please send your request to the Office of Donor Relations at donorrelations@colgate.edu. We will invite students to meet with you in an environment that feels comfortable to them, but we cannot require them to meet with you.

Please email us at donorrelations@colgate.edu. We will work with you to understand your vision for the scholarship as well as your financial commitment.