The reasons people give to Oklahoma State University are as numerous and diverse as the donors themselves. Whether you want to make a difference for a student, professor, department, program or challenge others to give, one thing is certain – your gift matters at OSU. 

Private support is essential to our success. Only 40 percent of the university's operating budget is supported through state funding.  This statistic demonstrates how private support provides the margin of excellence needed to place OSU among the most competitive universities in the country.  Your gifts to OSU ensure our success by:

Providing the OSU Experience to Deserving Students
Gifts for student and faculty attract bright minds to the university’s classrooms and laboratories. Many donors value the knowledge and experiences they received at OSU and desire to ensure the same for future generations of students.
                              
Vitalizing Economic Development
As a land-grant institution, OSU has an important responsibility to the people and the state of Oklahoma. Funding for university initiatives strengthens the state's economy, provides jobs and improves the quality of life that remains a vital resource to Oklahoma and its people.

Leaving a Legacy
Many individuals view their support as a means of accomplishing personal goals, supporting values and beliefs. Some give simply because they view their support as a good investment. Make your mark on the university through scholarship, program, facility and other endowment naming opportunities.

Attracting World-Class Faculty
One of the single greatest contributions to a university’s prestige is the faculty who call it home.  Our commitment to recruiting and retaining the very best faculty in all fields ensures that OSU can continue its legacy of useful discoveries and life-changing teaching.

Receiving Tax Benefits
Giving can positively impact your income tax or estate tax situation. Specific tax related benefits include income tax savings through a charitable deduction for the value of a gift, avoidance of capital gains tax on contributions of appreciated securities and other kinds of appreciated property, and life income for yourself and/or others through life income gifts

Give for Your Own Reasons
No matter why others give, you have your own personal reasons. Philanthropy has both tangible and intangible rewards. You will find that you are influenced by many motives-some humanitarian, some financial, some close to your heart. The best plan for you is the one that satisfies all of them.

But our best reasons to give are below.

Meet three of the academically talented individuals whose lives were changed and whose OSU dreams became a reality through personal gifts:

	Carol, of Bennington, Oklahoma, is passionate about two things: agriculture and helping others. So when it came time to select a college OSU was her first choice, but with a household income registering just above the qualifying amount for financial aid it was the generosity of the Rapp Foundation that made college possible. “Receiving this scholarship was of the utmost importance in making my college dreams a reality. Both of my parents are Oklahoma high school teachers and their combined income left me just above the qualifying line for grants and financial aid.  My scholarship donor is the only reason I’m here.”
	Justin, of Acworth, Georgia, dreamt of becoming a pilot as a young child growing up in inner city New Jersey.  While his dream of entering the aviation field progressed through his teenage years, he was unsure of the financial burden he could assume to reach his career goals.   Through numerous scholarships offered by OSU donors and foundations, Justin will graduate from OSU’s aviation program in spring 2009.  “I [soon] realized that reaching for your goal was as simple as wanting it so badly that you could not think of anything else. Each of my scholarships have helped make my dream into reality.”
	Sophia, of Thessaloniki, Greece, attended OSU through an exchange program. She loved it so much she extended her visa, attended graduate school and is now pursuing a doctoral degree in plant sciences. Additionally, she’s recruited her husband and brother to study at her beloved university – all of which was made possible through the generosity of OSU donors. “Financial assistance is one of the reasons it was easy to stay here and continue the Ph.D. program. Without it, staying here and pursuing my doctorate would basically be impossible.”

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