Giving FAQ

Yes! Every gift makes a difference. Your gift and others like it combine to cover a range of immediate needs and help further Seattle University’s Jesuit mission of transforming lives. Gifts from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and students, no matter the amount, demonstrate endorsement by the Seattle University community for the many exciting initiatives taking place across our great campus.

Seattle University’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Giving totals, participation data, and reporting information are based on gifts processed between those dates.

For online gifts, selecting a designation is part of the giving form. For checks, you can specify the gift designation by including a note stating the intent or by simply writing where the gift should go in the memo portion of your check.

Yes. The overhead is 5% upon receipt and applies only to current-use gifts over $1,000 and under $5 million. This means that 5% of every gift within this range is allocated to support Seattle University’s advancement operations. This does not include gifts to the SU Fund or capital projects. 

Many universities implement similar gift overhead policies to ensure long-term financial health and operational efficiency. Our approach aligns with the best practices observed in higher education institutions nationwide. 

Yes! For more information on directing funds to Seattle University from your DAF, visit our ‘Ways to Give’ page.

Yes. Our gift accounting office acknowledges all donation amounts and you can expect an official receipt for your taxes in the mail soon after your gift is received. If you make your gift online, you will also receive a confirmation notice via e-mail. Donors making a recurring monthly gift will receive a year-end receipt for all contributions made during the fiscal year.

A member of our Gift Processing team will be happy to provide answers to your questions about gift receipts. Please reach out to the Gift Processing office at gifts@seattleu.edu.

Many companies encourage their employees to make charitable contributions by matching their philanthropic support, which can double or even triple your gift to Seattle University. Click here to learn more and see if your company has a qualifying matching gifts program.

Seattle University’s endowment distribution is 5%. Endowment distributions to programs, scholarships, and other agreed purposes are 4.5% and 0.5% of the distribution supports current and future University Advancement operations.  

Have a new address, phone number or email address? You may send updated contact information to bioupdates@seattleu.edu.

Many Seattle University alumni and friends are benefiting from life income gifts and other estate gift plans. Gifts like these offer wonderful benefits, from increased income to generous tax savings, for our benefactors. For more information, please contact our Office of Gift Planning at 206-296-2190 or giftplanning@seattleu.edu.

Please visit our Contact Page for a complete listing of the University Advancement staff.