Monetary Guidelines

A new or renovated building or open space incorporating private funding can be named if the honoree gift equals at least 40–60 percent of the cost of the project.  Exceptions to this guideline may be authorized by the naming committee, as the committee deems appropriate.

Gift Level Guidelines
Type of Space Examples Minimum Gift
Highly visible public space A wing, performance
auditorium, or hospital
patient area                         
$1 million
Premier general-use space
used primarily by students
and faculty with occasional
public use
Lecture halls or large
classrooms, a floor,
entrance foyers, large
laboratories, galleries,
suites of rooms
$500,000
Internally significant space Any used by students,
faculty, and staff
$50,000 to $500,000
Private-use space Offices, laboratories,
practice rooms
$50,000

Acceptable Gift Types

  • Cash or securities
  • Irrevocable pledge commitments payable within five to seven years
  • Irrevocable commitments via a planned gift
  • Realized benefits, with the donor receiving posthumous recognition

Regarding facilities where private gifts have not been factored into the financing:
Deferred gift agreements in which assets are transferred irrevocable and in which there are no more than two income beneficiaries, both of whom are at least 60 years old at the time of the commitment.

Term charitable remainder trusts and deferred gift annuities will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Qualifying Endowment Gifts

Facilities may be named to recognize donors endowment gifts if:

  • The total gift is at least 50 percent of the original estimate of the cost for construction or renovation, and
  • The gift is either unrestricted or for overall faculty/student/staff support for the university and/or the college or unit involved