We often receive questions from alumni about the Dartmouth College Fund and have included many of them here. If you don't find an answer to your question, please let us know. You can contact us at dartmouth.college.fund@dartmouth.edu.
Q. I gave to Friends of my favorite sport already this year. Isn't that part of the Dartmouth College Fund?
A. Thank you for supporting the areas of Dartmouth that are important to you! Athletic friends groups, clubs, classes, social groups, building projects, etc. are not affiliated with the Dartmouth College Fund, and gifts to those groups are restricted to their use only. Gifts to the Dartmouth College Fund are unrestricted and always are used within the current fiscal year to fund financial aid and other high priorities.
Q. Dartmouth’s endowment is huge—and the College has received some enormous gifts recently. Why doesn’t Dartmouth use those funds for financial aid instead of asking us alumni to give?
A. Dartmouth’s endowment is big, true—and we have been fortunate enough to receive some landmark gifts. But consider this: the endowment is 80% restricted, and only 5% of earnings on the endowment are released for use each year. Gifts received specifically for an academic initiative or capital project are also restricted only to that project. The DCF is a current use fund, meaning that all gifts received are used within the current fiscal year, and they are unrestricted—giving the College greater flexibility and nimbleness.
Q. I created an endowed scholarship to support financial aid. Why is the DCF also focusing on financial aid when endowed scholarships are already available?
A. Thank you for making the Dartmouth experience possible for students through your scholarship! All endowed scholarships are restricted, which means they can only be used for the express financial aid purposes stipulated when they are established. DCF funds are unrestricted, which provides much more financial aid flexibility.
Q. I love Dartmouth, but I'm still paying off student loans—whatever I could possibly give is a drop in the bucket, right?
A. No! Small gifts matter enormously—and they really add up. Consider this: last year, gifts under $250 totaled more than $1.2 million for financial aid, and gifts under $2,500 totaled more than $6 million! Gifts of any size help.
Q. Are gifts to the DCF tax deductible?
A. Yes, gifts to the DCF are tax deductible.
Q. I want to be sure my DCF gift counts towards my class’ goals this year. When should I give?
A. Dartmouth’s fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30. You can give any time within these dates.
Q. I'm thinking about setting up a sustaining gift to make it easier to give each year. Does the DCF have sustaining plans?
A. Thank you for considering a sustaining gift plan, the DCF offers several options for sustaining donors. Learn more about sustaining gift plans here.
Q. What is Dartmouth's Tax ID number?
A. Dartmouth’s Taxpayer Identification Number (also commonly known as Employer ID Number (EIN), Federal ID Number, Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), or Tax-Exempt Number) is 02-0222111.
