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Questions and Answers

Below you will find answers to many common questions about Comets Giving Days 2023.

When are Comets Giving Days 2023?

Comets Giving Days 2023 will kick off at 10 a.m. CST on Wednesday, April 19 and run through 6:49 p.m. on April 20.

 

For real-time updates about Comets Giving Days, be sure to follow UT Dallas Alumni on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and/or LinkedIn.

What is Comets Giving Days?

Comets Giving Days is a two-day giving celebration beginning on April 19 at 10 a.m. and lasting for 1,969 minutes until April 20 at 6:49 p.m. The entire Comet community -- alumni, faculty, staff, students, employers, parents and friends -- are encouraged to be a part of these days and COMETogether to build a better UT Dallas. Through challenges, interactive leaderboards and good-natured rivalry, you can participate and motivate others to support a favorite school, program, center or department.

Why should I participate in Comets Giving Days 2023?

Comets Giving Days began in 2017 with only 20 groups participating across campus. Since then, the event has grown to support more than 100 areas of campus, with support coming from thousands of Comets and Comet supporters. As one of UT Dallas' great and growing traditions, you won't want to miss it. 

How can I make a gift?

Make your gift by clicking any of the participating group tabs or the "Give Now" button the homepage between Wednesday, April 19 at 10 a.m. through April 20 at 6:49 p.m.

If you just can't wait, be counted early by making your gift at giving.utdallas.edu/cometsgivingdays

Note: Gifts made early through the link above will not be eligible for any challenge or matching opportunities on April 19-20.

What areas can I support?

Please review the participating groups on our main giving day page to find the area that is most important to you. Each of the participating groups offers several options of support, including student scholarships, University organizations, transformational research and innovative patient care.

If your fund is not listed, please choose "other" from drop-down menu and enter the fund of your choice in the comment box under "final steps."

Please also take the time to sign up as a Comets Giving Days ambassador to make your support reach even further.

What if I don't see my desired group in the list of participating groups?

If you were not able to find an area you would like to support, please select “other” in the drop-down menu and include the program and/or fund name you wish to support in the “final steps” section. We will ensure your gift will be designated appropriately.

What are matching and challenge gifts?

Matching and challenge gifts encourage participation and larger gifts to the University by providing opportunities to make an event greater impact for a contribution. A complete list of challenges will be available online, and active opportunities can be viewed on the main landing page and participating groups' landing pages.

Take your passion further and email aisha.dibaki@utdallas.edu to learn how you can set up a challenge or match of your own this year.

What other ways can I get involved in Comets Giving Days?

Become a digital ambassador. Share our toolkit of sample posts and emails with your personal networks. Customize the toolkit and use your own words of why it is important for the UTD community to COMETogether on April 19-20.

Share your stories and images via social media using the hashtag #COMETogetherUTD. Ensure your settings are set to public so Tagboard can aggregate posts and allow visitors to view live updates from the UT Dallas alumni social media pages.

Remember, social media events will be going on throughout the days with bonus funds and UTD swag being distributed to winners. We can only see these posts if your profile is set to public.

 

Be a part of our Comets Giving Days events, check out the challenges tab for a list of all events. Note: Events are being added daily.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes. Your gift to the University is tax deductible to the extent provided by law. Our tax ID number is 75-1305566.

You will receive your tax-deductible receipt via the mail in the weeks following Comets Giving Days.

How can I make my gift go even further?

Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees. If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer and submit the completed and signed form with your gift. We will do the rest. The impact of your gift to UT Dallas may be doubled or possibly even tripled. Additionally, some companies match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses. Click here to see if your company matches.

Who should I contact with questions about my contributions?

What other creative ways can I make a gift?

Donor-advised funds

Direct your fund to make a gift and mail directly to:

The University of Texas at Dallas

800 W. Campbell Road, SPN 10, Richardson, TX 75080

 

Visit https://utdallasgiving.org/donor-advised-funds for more information.

*You will not receive a tax deduction from UTD, since you already received one when you gave to your donor-advised fund.

 

IRA charitable rollover gifts (for those 70 ½+ years of age)

Ask your retirement account holder to send gifts directly from your account to UTD up to $10,000.

https://utdallasgiving.org/ira-charitable-rollover

*You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions.

 

Stock gifts

Reduce or even eliminate federal capital gains taxes on the transfer. You may also be entitled to a federal income tax charitable deduction based on the fair market value of the securities at the time of the transfer.

https://utdallasgiving.org/appreciated-securities

When transferring stock, please work with UT System’s Karoline Felts, kfelts@utsystem.edu, 512.579.5080.

 

For more information on these and other creative ways to make a gift, contact:

Jennifer Fowler, Director of Development, Planned Giving and Special Initiatives at UT Dallas
972.905.3025 | jennifer.fowler@utdallas.edu

 

What if I don't see my desired group to support on the Comets Giving Day drop-down?

If you were not able to find an area you would like to support, please select “other” in the drop-down menu and include the program and/or fund name you wish to support in donation section. We will ensure your gift will be designated appropriately.

Is my Comets Giving Day gift tax-deductible?

Yes. Your gift to the University is tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. Our tax ID number is 75-1305566.

 

You will receive your tax-deductible receipt via email in the weeks following Comets Giving Day.

Still have questions?

Contact us at giving@utdallas.edu