How to Give

The ECU Foundation provides a variety of gifting and recognition opportunities in order to foster innovative and mutually rewarding philanthropy including:

• Donations
• Bequests
• Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships
• Endowments
• Unrestricted or Designated Gifts

Edith Cowan University (ABN: 54 361 485 361) is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) organisation, meaning donations to the University are fully tax deductible as charitable contributions under the ATO provisions.

Contributions to the ECU Foundation will not be diminished for administrative and operational costs.

Donations

Whether you are a graduate, a friend or supporter of Edith Cowan University , making a donation to the ECU Foundation is a tangible way of showing your support for ECU and ensuring that the important teaching and research activities of the University will continue to prosper well into the future.

In this era of reduced public support for tertiary institutions, the need for sustained growth in private funding cannot be overstated. There is an urgent need for Edith Cowan University to seek funding support from its external community. More and more, the University will need to rely on private philanthropy to fund the critical activities that allow the University to successfully compete on the world stage.

The Development and Alumni Office works closely with the University's donors to:

• Ensure gifts are appropriately acknowledged;
• Thank donors personally for their contribution(s);
• Where possible, ensure donors particular wishes are carried out;
• Invite donors to participate in University events and activities; and
• Keep donors involved and updated on ECU's progress.

We thank our many existing donors - it is only through external support from our benefactors that ECU is able to continue its mission of providing high quality university education within a diverse and dynamic learning environment.

The ECU Foundation, as the University's philanthropic vehicle, is able to accept a variety of gift types including cash, property (eg; shares, land, trading stock) and cultural gifts (eg; artwork, books, antiques). Gifts of property, such as shares, and cultural gifts are subject to the University's gift acceptance policy prior to being formally accepted by the University.

You can choose to make a one-off donation to the University or you can establish a pledged gift which is where you donate a specific amount on an annual basis for a set period of time (eg; 5 years). This is a great way to provide on-going support to the University for a specific project, such as scholarships and prizes. Once the pledge period has expired, donors are then invited to renew their support.

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Bequests

You can share in our vision and ensure ECU continues to provide a diverse and dynamic learning environment for all by making a bequest in your Will. Making a bequest is an uncomplicated way to help underpin the future growth and development of ECU and is a gift that will live on, providing long-term benefits for future generations.

There are various options for making a bequest. You can make an unrestricted bequest, which allows the University to determine where the money is most needed, or you can make a restricted bequest, where you designate the purpose of your gift.

Bequests can take several forms. They can specify a dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder of your estate once expenses and gifts to family and loved ones have been distributed and may include cash, securities, real estate and personal property.

If you have already drafted your Will, you can make an amendment by adding a codicil to include a bequest to ECU. When making a new Will, or changing an existing Will, we recommend that you seek independent professional advice to ensure that your wishes are expressed correctly.

If you would like to discuss your options for making a bequest to the ECU Foundation with complete confidentiality and without obligation, please contact the Development and Alumni Office on (08) 6304 2085.

If you have already included a gift to the ECU Foundation in your Will, please let us know so that we can invite you to become a member of our Edith Cowan Society , thank you personally and keep you involved and updated on our progress.

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Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships

Edith Cowan University strives to be outwardly focussed in all its activities to ensure its courses remain relevant and at the forefront of industry trends and to direct its research activities to areas of greatest community need and benefit.

ECU regularly engages with external corporate partners on a wide range of issues all of which promote greater cooperation and linkages between the University and the wider business community.

ECU has entered into an historical partnership with global technology leader IBM. This is the first alliance IBM has undertaken with any of Australia 's 38 universities. As well as providing benefits for staff and students, it will generate on-going funding support for the Foundation. IBM has also committed to funding a Professorial Chair at ECU.

ECU welcomes the opportunity to develop specifically tailored sponsorship and partnership programs that will not only provide tangible benefits for your organisation but also the broader community. Please contact the Development and Alumni Office if you would like to discuss the various ways in which you can sponsor and partner with the University.

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Endowments

Establishing an endowment fund creates a lasting legacy and ensures your gift lives on in perpetuity. Endowment funds are managed whereby the original capital sum is preserved. This means your initial gift remains intact and only the annual income, derived from interest earned on the capital, is used to fund the purpose(s) of your gift.

Endowment funds are usually set up for a specific purpose(s), such as funding a prize or scholarship, supporting an academic position (eg; Professorial Chair or Fellow) or contributing to a particular community event or activity (eg; public lecture). Endowment funds generally carry the name of the donor or someone special to them therefore provides a lasting memorial to a loved one.

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Unrestricted or Designated Gifts

When making a donation to the ECU Foundation, you can choose to designate your gift for a specific purpose aligned with your particular area(s) of interest or you can make an unrestricted gift.

Unrestricted gifts are beneficial to the University because of their increased flexibility, meaning the University can direct these funds to its area(s) of greatest priority at any particular time.

Alternatively, where your gift is designated for a specific purpose, the University will involve you in how your contribution will be used. That way, you can feel certain that what is important to you will carry on into the future.

It should be noted that whilst the University will make every effort to respect your wishes where a gift is designated for a specific purpose, situations do change over the years, and sometimes the original purpose of a gift is no longer able to be carried out.

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