Giving to Olin: Frequently Asked Questions

Olin’s fiscal year (FY) is July 1 to June 30.

Alumni, parents and Olin employees can view their giving history once logged into the Olin Portal at my.olin.edu. If you need help logging in, use the Olin password management tool or call the IT HelpDesk at 781.292.2430.

You can also find out your giving history by contacting Anne-Marie Dorning, Vice President of Marketing and Communication at adorning@olin.edu or 781-292-2258.

Making a gift of any size has an impact on Olin’s participation rates. High giving participation demonstrates the enthusiasm and commitment of our community to companies, foundations and other institutions who are considering financial and collaborative partnerships with Olin.

Alumni Participation Rates

Beginning with our first graduating class in 2006, Olin alumni have recognized Olin’s profound impact on their careers and their lives with generous annual support.

Last year, 48% of alumni made a gift to Olin.

Parent Participation Rates

Parents and families know firsthand the value of an Olin education. Our families are valued ambassadors and their support pays forward Olin's transformative experience to the next generation of students.

Last year, 52% of current parents and 25% of alumni parents made a gift to Olin.

Olin College is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 06-1519057.

When you fill out the online pledge form or a printed pledge form with a pledge payment schedule for a one- to five-year commitment, you are letting Olin know your intention to give at the specified amounts during the specified time to the gift designation indicated.

By committing in advance to Olin, you can maximize the impact of your gift, and may be able to stretch your gift out over multiple years. Pledging serves as a strategic way to plan your philanthropy; for example, a donor might not be able to give $5,000 today, but could make that same gift if spread out over two or three years.

Single and multi-year pledges are important for Olin because they help to reduce a portion of our budgetary unknowns as we plan for each coming year. In addition, they save the College fundraising resources and help forecast our giving participation.

You can make your pledge payment online at Giving.Olin.edu by Visa or MasterCard, with a check made out to “Olin College” and mailed to the Office of Strategic Communications | 1000 Olin Way | Needham, MA 02492, or via stock, electronic transfer, online bill pay, or donor advised fund. Click here to learn more about ways to give.

While we encourage you to give to the original designation of your pledge, you may change the gift designation, or the other terms of your pledge commitment by contacting oscom@olin.edu. It is important that we know if you decide to switch your pledge designation so we can update our records and communications accordingly.

We understand that life circumstances, preferences and needs change. If your philanthropic capacity has been altered and you cannot fulfill your pledge payment for the fiscal year, we ask that you notify oscom@olin.edu so we can update your pledge record.

As you know, participation is incredibly important to Olin, so if you must skip a year of your pledge commitment, please consider making a small gift for participation purposes. A gift of any amount truly makes a difference.

Yes, all gifts to Olin are tax-deductible. If you make an online gift, you will receive an electronic receipt with the amount and tax information at the bottom, as well as Olin's tax ID number (EIN 06-1519057). If you make a donation with a check or stock transfer, you will receive a receipt and acknowledgement letter in the mail.

Your credit card will be charged immediately and the funds will go directly to Olin College. All donations made through Olin.edu or our crowdfunding site will go straight to Olin's credit card processing team.

Find out if your employer matches gifts using the tool below.

Matching Gift and Volunteer Grant information provided by

If your employer matches gifts, please fill out your employer's matching gift form and send it to Olin. Once we receive it, we will confirm with you that your donation was received.

Please email oscom@olin.edu to let us know you have applied for a match with your employer and we will keep an eye out for it.

Yes. Some donors prefer to make one annual gift, while others prefer to give multiple times throughout the year. This may be because they have chosen to set up a monthly recurring gift schedule or because they would like to contribute to different giving opportunities, such as a time-dependent matching gift challenge or an effort to raise funds for a particular project.

A recurring gift offers donors an easy way to support Olin over time.

Once you determine the amount and frequency of your donation, Olin will charge your credit card at the predetermined interval. (For each period, charges are made as close as possible to the same date.) We send donors an email confirming each charge.

Recurring gifts automatically renew each year until an end date specified by the donor.

Here are some examples of recurring gift amounts and the resulting annual contribution.

* Bolded number are Phoenix Society Giving Level Amounts

A designation allows you to specify the program(s) or fund(s) where you would like your charitable dollars to go.  

Yes, you can give to multiple designations and no, there is not a limit. We recommend focusing on the top three designations you're most passionate about to have the greatest impact. 

Contact Anne-Marie Dorning at adorning@olin.edu or 781-292-2258.

Funding goes directly to Olin when giving through our crowdfunding site, just like when you make a gift through Giving.Olin.edu.

Olin’s crowdfunding site is powered by GiveCampus.

Yes.

Yes.

A link to our annual report is shared toward the end of each calendar year. Other stewardship reports will be sent individually.

You can also explore news and stories throughout our website, as well as on our social media channels, to see your support at work.