Your support helps us sustain our tradition of excellence in medical education, groundbreaking research, and serving humanity.

Outright gifts can include cash, securities (stocks, bonds, and mutual funds), real estate, tangible personal property, and/or retirement plan assets.

Table of Contents

Appreciated Securities or Mutual Fund Shares

Securities and mutual funds that have increased in value and have been held for more than one year can be used to make your gift to HMS. In making the gift, you may be eligible for various tax-advantaged benefits.

  • Benefits
    • Qualify for a charitable income tax equal to the market value of the security you have owned for at least one year
    • Carry forward any unused charitable deduction for up to five additional years
    • Reduce capital gains tax
    • Improve health and well-being for all
    • Create enduring impact at HMS

  • How to Fund
    • Appreciated Securities
    • Mutual Fund Shares

  • Next Steps

    Securities
    Contact the Alumni and Development Services-Trust Administration at 866-845-6596 or donorsecuritygifts@harvard.edu.

    Stocks
    Notify Harvard University to ensure the proper processing of your gift by completing this online form »

    Learn more about gifts of stock »

    Mutual Funds
    Coordinate with the Alumni and Development Services-Trust Administration. For the team to determine the appropriate instructions, please call 866-845-6596 or email donorsecuritygifts@harvard.edu with the following information:

    • Name of the mutual fund
    • Number of shares
    • Date of acquisition
    • Where the shares are currently held

Charitable IRA Rollover

If you are 73 years old or older, you can transfer any amount, up to $100,000 per year, from your IRA directly to Harvard Medical School. This is a tax-advantaged way to make your annual gift to HMS or your Reunion gift.

2023 Update: The Secure Act 2.0 of 2022 has updated the minimum required age for withdrawal to 73. Additionally, donors can now roll up to $50,000 of IRA funds into charitable gift annuities, with limitations. Please contact giftplanning@hms.harvard.edu to learn whether this is a viable option for you.

  • Benefits
    • Satisfy your required minimum distribution and avoid counting the distribution as taxable income
    • Improve health and well-being for all 
    • Create enduring impact at HMS 

  • How to Fund
    • IRA

  • Next Steps

    If you are at least 73 years old, you can direct a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to HMS, transferring up to $100,000 from your IRA as a gift.

    Donors can roll up to $50,000 of IRA funds into charitable gift annuities, with limitations. Contact our gift planning team at 800-922-1782 or email giftplanning@hms.harvard.edu.

    CHECK
    Download the IRA rollover letter of instruction and request that your IRA administrator issues a check for your selected dollar amount directly to HMS.

    STOCKS/SECURITIES
    Contact the Alumni and Development Services-Trust Administration at 866-845-6596 or donorsecuritygifts@harvard.edu. Please notify Harvard of the transfer to ensure proper processing of your gift by completing this online form »

    WIRE TRANSFERS

    Receiving Bank: Bank of America
    100 Federal Street
    Boston, MA 02110
    Beneficiary Legal Account: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    ADS Account
    Account Number: 9429263621
    ACH Routing Number: 011000138
    Wire Routing Number: 026009593
    Swift Code (international donors): BOFAUS3N
    Memo/Reference: Donor name, degree/year (if applicable), and fund name (intended gift purpose)

    Once the wire transfer arrangements have been made, please provide the following information to giftplanning@hms.harvard.edu:

    • Name/location of bank sending the transfer
    • Amount of gift
    • Date of transfer
    • Name of the HMS fund, program, or research area the gift is supporting

Donor-Advised Funds

Make an annual gift from your DAF to HMS. After creating the DAF, you can direct annual distributions to your favorite charities. You enjoy the simplicity and anonymity of recommending a distribution from your DAF to HMS to support medical education, biomedical research, or health care service.

  • Benefits
    • Eligible for an immediate income tax deduction the year the DAF is established
    • Simplified recordkeeping with one tax receipt
    • Improve health and well-being for all 
    • Create enduring impact at HMS 

  • How to Fund

    • Donor-Advised Fund 

  • Next Steps

    After creating your DAF, you can direct annual distributions to your favorite charities. You enjoy the simplicity and anonymity of recommending a distribution from your DAF to HMS to support medical education, biomedical research, or health care service.

    If you have an account with Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or BNY Mellon, select your fund provider’s name, and you will be taken to their website to complete your gift.

    If your provider is not listed, contact them directly with a request to make a gift to HMS on your behalf:

    Make a check payable to Harvard Medical School and mail it to:
    Harvard Medical School
    Alumni Affairs and Development
    P.O. Box 419720
    Boston, MA 02241-9720

    Please have them include a note with your full name, address, phone number, and the name of the fund you are supporting on the memo line.

    Did you know? You can also designate HMS as a beneficiary of your DAF. Request a change of beneficiary form from your plan administrator and name the “President and Fellows of Harvard College, for the benefit of Harvard Medical School” as a beneficiary, along with the percentage you would like HMS to receive. If you include HMS in your plans, please let us know »

    Tax Identification #04-2103580
    HMS gifts are managed under the umbrella of Harvard University’s Federal Tax Identification Number.

Gifts of Special Assets

Gifts of real property, or gifts of personal property, such as art, antiques, patents, and other tangible property can be an effective way to provide meaningful support for HMS. Depending on the donated asset, the structure of your gift, and the purpose of your gift, you may benefit by reducing income and estate taxes.

In particular, by making a gift of real estate, you can leverage a significant asset for your benefit and the School’s benefit. Consider donating residential, vacation, or commercial property. You can give all, or a percentage of, the property. You can also structure the gift in a way that can provide you with annual income.

  • Benefits
    • Use real estate or personal property, such as artwork, to fund a gift
    • Reduce income, capital gains, and potential estate taxes
    • Improve health and well-being for all 
    • Create enduring impact at HMS 

  • How to Fund
    • Real Estate
    • Personal Property

    Acceptance of these assets are subject to Harvard gift acceptance policies or, at a minimum, subject to a due diligence process.

  • Next Steps

    Contact our gift planning team at 800-922-1782 or email giftplanning@hms.harvard.edu.

Charitable Lead Trusts

A CLT is an irrevocable trust that provides financial support to HMS for a period, with the remaining assets eventually transferring to family members or other beneficiaries at the end of the trust term. When you donate $1,000,000 to set up a CLT, you agree to pay HMS income, typically for a set term years, at the end of which your beneficiaries receive the remainder funds and are not taxed on the appreciation of the fund.

  • Benefits
    • Reduce or even eliminate the gift tax you owe on assets you transfer to your heirs
    • Pass any appreciation of the trust tax-free to your heirs
    • Improve health and well-being for all
    • Create enduring impact at HMS

  • How to Fund
    • Cash
    • Appreciated Securities
    • Closely Held Stock
    • Real Estate

  • Next Steps

Other ways to give today

Credit Card
Visit our secure online gift form »
Harvard University accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover cards.

Check
Make a check payable to Harvard Medical School and mail it to:

Harvard Medical School
Alumni Affairs and Development
P.O. Box 419720
Boston, MA 02241-9720

Please include a note with your full name, address, phone number, and the name of the fund you are supporting on the memo line.

Phone
Call 617-384-8500

Donor Spotlight

IRA Rollover

James Hartsuck, MD '62

"My wife and I have contributed to our endowed scholarship fund using the charitable IRA rollover. Our fund allows my entire family to support today's most promising students who will become tomorrow's leaders in science and medicine."

Contact us
Ezekiel Hersey Council Wordmark

Please let us know if you have included HMS in your estate plans so we can celebrate you as a member of the Ezekiel Hersey Council, which recognizes those who have made legacy gifts to HMS.