Universities are literally the sole specific institutional exception in the essay:
> There are a couple exceptions to this principle. One is when the nonprofit is an umbrella organization. It's reasonable to make a restricted donation to a university, for example, because a university is only nominally a single nonprofit.
The article doesn't say what to do when donating to a university or college. So, when donating to a university, do also donate in a relatively unrestricted way. But donate to:
1. a department (in small amounts),
2. a scholarship fund (in medium amounts),
3. an endowed professorship for a specific department/discipline (in large amounts), or
4. some important component of the physical plant (in "Gates/Allen" amounts).
Not to the university as a whole.
At least that's what I've witness as being effective.
Oh, and if you donate to scholarships, make sure the university/college plays ball. If they won't at least match 4% of the principle, just set up the scholarship an independent thing and let the kid choose where they go. Why donate a student scholarship to a specific school whose value is literally just the sustainable withdrawal rate? What's the point of that? Certainly not to help a student. Your donation will turn into a chair on the deck to be rearranged. But lots of donors get suckered into doing this.
> There are a couple exceptions to this principle. One is when the nonprofit is an umbrella organization. It's reasonable to make a restricted donation to a university, for example, because a university is only nominally a single nonprofit.
The article doesn't say what to do when donating to a university or college. So, when donating to a university, do also donate in a relatively unrestricted way. But donate to:
1. a department (in small amounts),
2. a scholarship fund (in medium amounts),
3. an endowed professorship for a specific department/discipline (in large amounts), or
4. some important component of the physical plant (in "Gates/Allen" amounts).
Not to the university as a whole.
At least that's what I've witness as being effective.
Oh, and if you donate to scholarships, make sure the university/college plays ball. If they won't at least match 4% of the principle, just set up the scholarship an independent thing and let the kid choose where they go. Why donate a student scholarship to a specific school whose value is literally just the sustainable withdrawal rate? What's the point of that? Certainly not to help a student. Your donation will turn into a chair on the deck to be rearranged. But lots of donors get suckered into doing this.