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The Right Gift for You

Directed giving through the Texas A&M Foundation allows you to customize your impact on others and create a unique Aggie legacy.

By Bailey Payne ’19

The Texas A&M Foundation raises and manages gifts of all types and sizes for Texas A&M University but specializes in helping former students and philanthropic partners change lives through directed giving. With a directed gift, you get to choose exactly what your money supports on campus.

Making a directed gift can be as simple as visiting our website and donating to one of our hundreds of online giving accounts. However, to create a larger impact through a permanent endowment or a planned gift that takes effect after your lifetime, there’s an easy process we can walk you through.
 

Star Student Support

Scholarship endowments are among the most popular directed gifts the Foundation receives. These endowments allow customization options for but not limited to:

  • Student major 
  • GPA requirement
  • Student hometown or region
  • Student classification (class year, graduate status)
  • Involvement in an organization at Texas A&M or in high school
  • Intention to pursue a particular profession
  • Name of your endowment (after donor, a loved one or an organization)

1. Start the conversation.

Email us at info@txamfoundation.com, call us at 979.845.8161 or visit our website at txamfoundation.com. There, you’ll find a contact form to connect you with one of our more than 80 development officers (DOs)—passionate professionals dedicated to helping you navigate the giving process.

2. Create a vision.

Your DO will ask you questions to help narrow down the campus area you want to impact and how. In the same way that newspaper journalists cover one or more “beats,” DOs manage fundraising for certain Texas A&M colleges and schools and will offer in-depth knowledge to find the perfect gift opportunity for you. You can support scholarships, faculty and research, student activities and traditions, or college programs.

3. Decide on a giving method.

Once you’ve decided what you want your gift to support, it’s time to choose how you’ll fund it. You don’t need to give in cash or all at once; there are plenty of other options to make a difference in a way that is financially beneficial for you. For example, you could also give real estate or stocks. And planned gifts, or gifts that take effect after your lifetime, could offer tax advantages and even provide steady payment streams for you or your loved ones.
 

4. Document your wishes.

When you’re ready to finalize your gift, your DO will present a gift agreement, a document that lays out your gift’s details and binds the Foundation to your intentions. This stage is also where you can customize your gift, including its name, payment timeline and—in the case of a scholarship gift—specific details outlining what type of student(s) you want to support.

5. Celebrate your impact!

After you’ve signed your gift agreement, it’s time to watch your generosity go to work. Depending on your giving method and timeline, you may get to meet your gift recipients and visit campus for updates about your impact. If you gave through a planned gift, enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’ve created a unique Aggie legacy to benefit future generations.
 

Have more questions about the giving process? Check out our Giving Academy, a short video series with informative courses on why people give to Texas A&M, what the giving process looks like and how endowments enable donors to make a generational impact. Whether you’re a first-time donor, longtime partner or are simply curious about philanthropy’s role in sustaining Aggieland, the Giving Academy will help you learn how you can make a difference in just minutes at a time.

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  • Dunae Reader '15

  • Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications/Spirit Editor/Maroon Co-Editor
  • Call: 979.321.6343

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