FAQs

General Questions

We accept gifts of cash, checks, credit card transactions, and publicly traded securities, in addition to gifts managed by donor advised funds. Gifts of real estate, cultural property, and other types of “gifts in kind” are generally evaluated before accepted. We will not accept gifts that are inconsistent with our stated missions, purpose, and priorities, or pose an unacceptable risk of liability to Johns Hopkins.

All charitable gifts to Johns Hopkins University and Medicine are governed by the policies of the university and health system, which are updated from time to time by their respective institutions. If you have questions about your gift, please contact us.

We will not accept gifts that:

  • are inconsistent with our stated mission, purpose, and priorities
  • violate the terms of our corporate charter
  • could result in our violating federal or state laws
  • are unduly burdensome to administer
  • pose an unacceptable risk of liability to Hopkins
  • benefit a specified Johns Hopkins student or personally benefit a faculty or staff member

If you have questions about whether your intended gift will be accepted, please contact us.

Yes, and many thanks for your continued support. At this time, we are encouraging that gifts be made electronically. Generally, these gifts are received and recognized sooner and more efficiently, especially if mail and other delivery services in the United States are delayed.

If you would like to make a gift electronically, please use our online giving forms. You may also give via ACH or wire transfer, but please contact the area you wish to give to before doing so.

If you would prefer to mail your check, please know that Johns Hopkins Development and Alumni Relations is transitioning to a new internal constituent database. We’re excited about new features that this system will allow. While we are getting up and running, please expect that our response times, including our ability to update any changes to your contact information, may be slightly delayed. If you would still prefer to mail your check, use this form and mail your check (made payable to Johns Hopkins University) to:

Johns Hopkins University and Medicine
Attn: Office of Annual Giving
PO Box 49141
Baltimore, MD, 21297-9141

Yes. You can direct your gift to any school, center, department, or program by indicating so on your online giving form or your printable giving form.

Yes. In the form, select “Other (please specify)” and identify the destination for your gift in the “Please describe” box. If you’re not sure how to proceed, please contact us.

No. You can schedule recurring credit card gifts using our online giving form. You also can speak with a gift officer to determine a pledge payment schedule that fits your needs.

Yes. Just make your gift as you normally would using our online giving form. You can also mail back a pledge reminder receipt sent to you by Hopkins along with your payment using this address:

Johns Hopkins University and Medicine
Development and Alumni Relations
San Martin Center
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Attn: Gift Processing Supervisor

All charitable gifts should be directed to The Johns Hopkins University or The Johns Hopkins Hospital, charitable, tax-exempt organizations located in Baltimore, MD. Please contact the Office of Gift Planning at 800-548-1268 or giftplanning@jhu.edu to ensure you name the correct entity as most medicine areas and functions fall under the university, not the hospital.

Johns Hopkins University’s tax ID number: 52-0595110
Johns Hopkins Hospital’s tax ID number: 52-0591656

Yes. We will mail you a tax receipt within four weeks of receiving your gift. If you don’t receive your receipt in this time frame, please contact us at at Stewardship and Donor Engagement at 410-516-2832 or donorsupport@jhu.edu.

Unlike cash, gifts of appreciated securities are treated as gifts of property. In accordance with IRS regulations, Johns Hopkins lists the date received, name of the security and number of shares. For internal accounting and donor crediting, a valuation of stock gifts is derived from the mean of the high and low price transactions per share on the date the securities are received by Johns Hopkins. These prices are typically recorded in trade publications and may also be requested by contacting the Office of Gift Planning. Please consult with your own advisor about how the tax rules apply to you.

Yes. First, check to see if your company supports a charitable contribution match. Use the search tool below to find your company and complete its application form. Many organizations provide an online form. If you are using a physical form mail it to:

Johns Hopkins University and Medicine
Development and Alumni Relations
Advancement Services
Johns Hopkins at Keswick
3910 Keswick Road, Suite N2100
Baltimore, MD 21211
Attn: Matching Gifts Department

Or fax it to:
443-997-9018

If your organization wasn’t found, you may still want to contact your human resources department to see if your organization matches charitable gifts, and if so, follow the appropriate process.

Yes. You can make a gift to honor or remember an individual by directing your gift to the appropriate program or fund using our online giving form. If you make your gift by mail, you can inform us by including a note in the envelope naming the honoree. After you have made your gift, if you wish, Hopkins will send an acknowledgement to that individual or their family.

We know that name recognition is not the only reason for giving, but it is one of the ways Johns Hopkins can honor you for your generosity while enhancing the university’s mission and academic priorities. Naming opportunities, including endowed funds and facility projects, offer donors the ability to leave their own legacy, recognize a loved one, or pay tribute to a person of significance.

As part of our policies and guidelines, and the Name Review Board, the University Board of Trustees approves naming and can remove recognition if the entity has reached the end of its useful life or the continued use of a name goes against the mission and values of the University. Reasonable efforts will be made to inform the donor in advance of any renaming.

If you’d like to learn about naming opportunities, please contact a gift officer.

Assessments

Like many higher education institutions and other non-profit organizations across the country, Johns Hopkins applies a one-time assessment to all gifts. The Board of Trustees determines the amount of the assessment, which is currently 4 percent. The assessment supports the cost of the university’s development efforts. For gifts designated to the COVID-19 response efforts, Johns Hopkins has decided to waive this 4 percent assessment.

Yes. Effective July 1, 2023, in Johns Hopkins Medicine, both endowment and current-use gifts are assessed at 13%. This assessment supports development operations and the tripartite mission of patient care, research, and education, as designated by the Dean and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Some clinical departments have an additional assessment to support care, research, and education at the discretion of the department chair.

Have additional questions about assessments? Please contact us.

In Johns Hopkins Medicine, some clinical departments have an additional assessment to support care, research, and education at the discretion of the department chair. (See the FAQ above for more information.) The Bloomberg School of Public Health has an additional assessment on non-scholarship gifts that is used to support scholarships. The Berman Institute of Bioethics has an additional assessment for gifts it receives as well. COVID-19 gifts are still being assessed at other parts of the institution as those gifts can support critical areas of need, such as patient care, research, and scholarships. 

For specific questions regarding school or departmental assessments, please speak with a gift officer.

Endowment Giving

Current-use gifts are used immediately. Endowed gifts are assets that are invested in perpetuity, providing Hopkins with ongoing operating income for future generations. Endowed funds earn income, such as dividends, interest, and capital appreciation, and each year a percentage of that annual income goes to support a specific purpose determined by you, the donor. Endowed gifts are important because they ensure our institution is less dependent on unpredictable sources of revenue, such as sponsored research or government aid, while ensuring that programs and individuals receive steady funding.

The university’s Endowment Investment Pool includes more than 4,200 individual funds established by donors for a variety of purposes. They can be restricted to a specific need, such as student scholarships, professorships, academic or research programs, facility maintenance, etc. They also can be unrestricted to provide resources to the institution as needed.

Yes — the standard minimum level to establish a named fund is $100,000. There are also minimum levels for funding specific positions and other naming opportunities. If you’d like to learn more about making an endowed gift, please contact a gift officer.

Gift Planning

Giving stock and other appreciated securities directly to Johns Hopkins offers an appealing mix of tax benefits and direct support for Johns Hopkins. Appreciated securities are those that are worth more today than when you acquired them. In order to receive a tax deduction for the full value of your gift of appreciated securities, you must have held them for at least one year. Our Office of Gift Planning can help.

Our Office of Gift Planning can help.

Yes. Our Office of Gift Planning can help.