The United Way of Tompkins County logo.

Individual Giving

When you give to the United Tompkins Impact Fund through UWTC, 100% of your gift goes to impact partners who run programs to meet our objectives in our Impact Areas. You can also designate your gift to specific programs. Our administrative costs are covered by Our Cornerstone Partners, earned income, and investment earnings.

Giving or Pledging as an Individual

Individuals can contribute through our campaign on their own or through their workplace giving campaign. See Organization Giving for more information.

You can give or pledge by visiting the “Pledge Today” button on our website banner or by completing the fillable pledge card below and mailing it to us at United Way of Tompkins County, 313 North Aurora Street, Ithaca, New York, 14850.

2026-2027 Fillable Pledge Card (PDF)

Pledging Qualified Charitable Distributions

If you would like to make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) gift through your IRA, let us know by one of the methods below when we should expect your gift and in what amount, and update your address and phone number, if necessary. We will enter your pledge and alert you if it is not received by the deadline. Spouses may each make a QCD if they wish.

  • By emailing us.
  • By calling us at (607) 500-GIVE and selecting option 2 or 5.
  • By sending us the above fillable pledge card.

Stock Gifts

Donating stock to United Way of Tompkins County has several benefits.

  • You can claim the market value as a tax deduction and avoid capital gains tax by giving the stock directly, which also lowers the cost basis of your gift.
  • Your stock gift helps us earn money until it’s distributed to the community. We distribute gifts at their original market value, using any gains or losses for administrative costs.

There are several ways you can give a gift of stock. Contact us for our broker’s information, if needed.

  1. Go through your own broker. Due to broker privacy policies, your stock transfer may be anonymous. Notifying us of any transaction will ensure that your gift will be processed quickly.
    1. Send a Stock Transfer Authorization letter to your broker, directing the gift to us and notifying our preferred broker.
    2. Notify us either by providing a copy of the letter to your broker or by another confirmation method, including completing a pledge card, or mailing or emailing the letter to us directly.
  2. Give stock through a trust account.
    1. Provide the trustee, including the advising trustee, with United Way of Tompkins County’s broker information. To get this information, please contact us.
    2. Notify us by mail or email. The trustee can have stock registered in United Way of Tompkins County’s name and mail the certificate to us or have stock transferred to United Way of Tompkins County’s broker account.
  3. Bring your stock certificate to United Way of Tompkins County.
    1. Complete a certificate release request and have your signature medallion guaranteed by a brokerage firm. If the stock is in your name, a signature(s) as shown on the certificate is required.
    2. Make an appointment by calling our office (607) 272-6286 or emailing us.

Thank you for considering a stock gift to United Way of Tompkins County. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or requests.