Charitable giving is rewarding in many ways. There is the satisfaction of supporting an important cause, the excitement of seeing your gift lead to positive change, and in many cases, tangible financial benefits to you and/or another beneficiary, through tax advantages and the retention of lifetime income from the donated asset.
There are many ways, outlined below, to support the Division of the Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine. Every gift counts.
Ways to Give
Every year alumni, faculty, and friends invest in the forefront of science and medicine through gifts to the Medical & Biological Sciences Alumni Annual Funds. These funds support research and education, advancing the future of medical and scientific discovery. Donors to the Annual Funds promote unique educational experiences for our students—experiences characterized by a passionate commitment to rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary effort. These donors are recognized with membership to the Alumni Leadership Society.
In gratitude to alumni and friends who join the Alumni Leadership Society, we are proud to offer these levels of membership:
Eleanor Humphreys Level
Gifts of $1,000-$2,499
This level commemorates the historic work of Dr. Humphreys, MD’31. The first director of the University’s Surgical Pathology Laboratory, her contributions to science—and her remarkable rapport with students and residents—were an immense gift to society.
Helen Culver Level
Gifts of $2,500-$4,999
This level recognizes Miss Culver, whose philanthropy helped build the University of Chicago’s first four laboratories on the quadrangle, and provided for the instruction of research scientists and medical students.
Charles B. Huggins Level
Gifts of $5,000-$9,999
This level honors the legacy of Dr. Huggins, one of the University’s original faculty members when the medical school was founded in 1927. During his 60 years at the University he established a renowned cancer research laboratory, trained and inspired numerous prominent medical scientists, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering a new principle for the treatment of advanced cancer.
Leon O. Jacobson Level
Gifts of $10,000 or above
This level recalls the work of Dr. Jacobson, who was an outstanding leader of the Division of the Biological Sciences. Dr. Jacobson administered the first successful cancer chemotherapy and helped pioneer the study of bone marrow transplant. He served as dean of the Division from 1966 to 1975 and believed in giving students the opportunity to “go as far as they could go.”
Donors to the Medical & Biological Sciences Alumni Annual Funds make gifts each fiscal year between July 1 and June 30. The Annual Funds are crucial to the Division of the Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine because they support the University of Chicago’s most urgent needs.
Annual Fund contributions work collectively to sustain interdisciplinary programs, maintain cutting-edge teaching environments, and offer students competitive financial assistance. Every gift makes a difference. Gifts from alumni and friends help provide the funds required to train and educate future physicians, scientists, and educators.
- $1,000 – A cadaver for student anatomy training or participation for one trainee in a myCHOICE career trek.
- $500 – Residency application costs for a fourth-year student or a travel award to attend a professional conference.
- $100 – One class-wide Wellness event or one benchtop microcentrifuge.
- $50 – One Pritzker Sibs Voucher for peer mentoring or a set of fine forceps for microdissection.
- $35 – Portable handbook for clinical clerkship rotations or sequencing for eight DNA preps.
The Annual Funds provide the resources necessary to offer this competitive financial aid and scholarship support. Generous alumni help to ensure that the University of Chicago continues to compete for extraordinarily bright and diverse students, regardless of their financial standing.
Additionally, Annual Fund donors who make cumulative gifts of $1,000 and more during the fiscal year are recognized as members of the Alumni Leadership Society.
To make a gift to the Annual Funds, you may use any of the following methods.
- Online, via our secure site.
- By phone, using a credit card, please call 1.888.UCHICAGO (1.888.824.4224).
- Mail a check payable to The University of Chicago to:
- Gift Administration and Business Data
ATTN: Medicine & Biological Sciences
5235 S. Harper Court
4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60615
- Gift Administration and Business Data
A cash gift is the most straightforward and common way to support the Division of the Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine. Cash gifts are deductible for federal income tax purposes up to a limit of 50 percent of your adjusted gross income if you itemize deductions. To the extent your cash gifts in a single year exceed this limit, you may carry over the excess for up to five additional years.
Cash gifts may be pledged for payment over a period of years. To be officially recorded, pledges should be made either in writing or by means of a pledge card.
To make a gift of cash to University of Chicago Medicine, you may use any of the following methods.
- Online, via our secure site.
- By phone, using a credit card, please call 1.888.UCHICAGO (1.888.824.4224).
- Mail a check payable to The University of Chicago to:
- Gift Administration and Business Data
ATTN: Medicine & Biological Sciences
5235 S. Harper Court
4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60615
- Gift Administration and Business Data
The Division of the Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine welcome honorary and memorial contributions.
This is an excellent way to pay tribute to a respected professor, an admired colleague, a cherished classmate, or a family member—while making a contribution to advance education.
For more information, please contact the UChicago MBSAA at alumni@bsd.uchicago.edu or (888) 303-0030.
Planned gifts, as opposed to outright gifts, allow you to reserve some interest in the asset or assets you use to make the gift.
Bequests are an integral part of the University of Chicago’s financial support and long-term security. By including the Division of the Biological Sciences or the Pritzker School of Medicine in your will or trust document, or naming either as a beneficiary or your retirement plan, you demonstrate your commitment to-and confidence in-the continued excellence of the BSD and the medical school and leave a meaningful legacy for future generations. The University’s Office of Gift Planning can provide you with sample bequest language or discuss how a charitable bequest or designation can be integrated into your estate plan.
Life-income gifts allow you to make a gift while retaining the right to receive income from the property (or proceeds from the sale of such property) used to make the gift. You will receive a charitable deduction for your gift and can benefit from other tax and financial advantages such as avoidance of capital gains, diversification of your portfolio, favorable tax treatment of future income payments and reduction of estate tax liability. Moreover, these types of gifts can be customized to meet your particular financial and charitable objectives.
For more information on various types of planned gifts and how they work, please visit the University’s Office of Gift Planning website.
If you have any questions about planned giving, please contact staff at:
Alumni celebrating a milestone Reunion year join together to give back to the Pritzker School of Medicine. Any gift or pledge made between July 1 and June 30 of your Reunion year will count towards your Reunion Class Gift.
To contribute to your Reunion Class Gift, you may use any of the following methods.
- Online, via our secure site.
- By phone, using a credit card, please call 1.888.UCHICAGO (1.888.824.4224).
- Mail a check payable to The University of Chicago to:
- Gift Administration and Business Data
ATTN: Medicine & Biological Sciences
5235 S. Harper Court
4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60615
- Gift Administration and Business Data