How to Donate to the Mayo Clinic

Headquartered in Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic employs over 42,000 physicians, scientists and allied health staff in its mission to advance the study, prevention and treatment of human illness, and treats more than 500,000 people annually. Making a tax-deductible donation to the Clinic is straightforward and safe. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Prepare to Donate to the Mayo Clinic

1. Do your homework before you donate. Read about the Clinic on its website and at CharityNavigator.org (see Resources below). Then decide whether to earmark your donation for education, research, charity care programs or to let it go wherever the need is greatest.

2. Check out alternate modes of payment. While many donations come in the form of a check or a credit card payment, the Mayo Clinic also makes it easy for you to give from annuities, securities or real estate, or to add a bequest to your will. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, since the Clinic is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

3. Check with your employer to look into the Clinic's corporate matching program.

Make Your Donation

1. Print out a Contribution Form from the Clinic website to mail a check (see Resources below). This form allows you to designate it in memory or honor any individual or earmark it for a particular purpose.

2. Make a secure payment on the website with a credit card or call [phone].

3. Call [phone] to donate to the Mayo Clinic via annuities, securities, real estate or a will bequest.

4. Determine whether or not you'd like to become an annual donor. Donors who contribute more than $1,000 annually are inducted into one of the Mayo Clinic's Annual Giving Recognition Societies. "Mayo Friends" donate $1,000 to $2,400, while the highest-level society, the "Mayo Leadership Circle," contribute $50,000 to $99,999 per year.

Follow up on Your Donation

1. File canceled checks, credit card receipts or other proof of donations within easy access for tax purposes and to review your charitable contributions and determine what to give in the future.

2. Store the Mayo Clinic's thank you note(s), annual report and other correspondence with or near your proof of donations information.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid making on-the-spot decisions about donations. Make such decisions on your own or with your partner and/or accountant or financial adviser.

• Protect your privacy when making charitable donations. The Clinic has a donor privacy policy. Ask for a copy when you donate.

Resources

• Mayo Clinic for organization overview
• Mayo Clinic Contribution Form
• CharityNavigator.org for Mayo Clinic information