How To
Support
A gift to the Golden Gopher Fund is an investment in Gopher student-athletes, coaches and staff. Gopher Athletics relies on Golden Gopher Fund member support in order to bring our vision for excellence to life.
There are many ways to give and directly impact Gopher Athletics now and into the future.
“Golden Gopher Fund contributions have a critical impact in supporting student-athlete scholarships, academic support services, sports medicine, mental health initiatives, nutrition and much more. Gopher Athletics continues to remain a leader in college athletics because of the support of our Golden Gopher Fund members.”
Mark Coyle, Director of Athletics
Annual giving
Annual gifts help fund our operating expenses and ensure that our student-athletes are able to compete at the highest level. Your annual support provides critical resources, such as scholarships, academic and leadership support to student-athletes across all 22 teams.
Donate NowTo the Golden Gopher FundMajor giving
There are few opportunities in life to leave a mark that stands the test of time. A major gift to Gopher Athletics is that chance to make a lasting, positive impact. Major gifts are donations of $50,000 or more that are either designated for a specific purpose or support the athletics department generally. Reach out to our development team to answer your questions and discuss your philanthropic passions.
Learn MoreAbout Major givingPlanned Giving
Planned Giving offers substantial income, estate and tax benefits to the donor while supporting the future of Gopher Athletics. Planned gifts can take the form of wills/trusts, bequests, life insurance or contributions to a donor pooled income fund.
Whether or not a planned gift is currently part of your philanthropic strategy to support Gopher Athletics, either in the near or distant future, we are grateful for the opportunity to help you forecast and arrange a gift with meaning and purpose.
Learn MoreAbout Planned GivingEndowment gifts
Endowments provide a guaranteed, never-ending source of income to support the area you are most passionate about. Donors who contribute to an endowment do so because they want to positively impact student-athletes and programs 25, 50 or 100 years from now. By establishing an endowed fund, your gifts contribute to the long-term sustainability of our programs by generating support in perpetuity.
Learn MoreAbout Endowment Gifts Ways To
Give
Employer Matching Gifts
Many companies will match your Golden Gopher Fund contribution at 2-to-1 or more, significantly increasing your gift and giving level. The process is as easy as: 1, 2, 3
1
Search for your employer in our database.
2
Request a matching gift form from your employer, fill it out, and submit it with your gift.
3
Make your gift to the U, in whatever amount is right for you.
IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution
Individuals who are age 70½ or older can make gifts of up to $108,000 directly from their IRA account to one or more qualified charities, without paying federal income tax on the withdrawal.
Donors who have an IRA and are fulfilling an existing pledge, or wish to make an outright gift to benefit Gopher Athletics, may want to make a qualified charitable distribution.
You cannot receive goods or services, or a personal benefit (such as tickets for events) in return for the gift.
Learn MoreAbout IRA qualified charitable distributionGifts of Appreciated Securities
Gifts of appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares can be a tax-advantaged way to provide immediate support for the Golden Gopher Fund. Gifts of any size benefit Gopher student-athletes, coaches and staff members.
For further questions or to initiate a transfer, please contact the Golden Gopher Fund at (612) 626-4653 or ggf@umn.edu.
Learn MoreAbout Gifts of Appreciated SecuritiesDonor Advised Fund
Giving to the University of Minnesota and Gopher Athletics from your Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is simple! You can recommend a grant from your fund to the University of Minnesota Foundation by providing the following information to the sponsoring organization:
Legal Name: University of Minnesota Foundation
Federal Tax ID: 41-6042488
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 860266, Minneapolis, MN 55486
Gift Designation: Name of Gopher Athletics' campaign, sport program, or fund where the grant should be directed
Each sponsoring organization has forms for recommending these grants, which you can access online or by contacting your DAF sponsoring organization. That organization will distribute the grant directly to the University of Minnesota Foundation to support Gopher Athletics.
Tax Information
The University of Minnesota Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been charged by the Regents of the University of Minnesota to receive and administer gifts on behalf of all University campuses, colleges, and programs including the Golden Gopher Fund and Gopher Athletics.
Legal Name: University of Minnesota Foundation
Address: 200 Oak Street SE, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Federal Tax ID Number: 41-6042488
If you wish to mail a check, please have it made out to the University of Minnesota Foundation.