Helpful Information for Donors

To All Employees: Your pledge donation should be made for the total amount you wish to give. Donations are then processed by dividing deductions from each paycheck over the following calendar year (January - December). 

For Barnard and Teachers College Employees: Please send your full name and the total donation amount to [email protected]. The CCS Office will send your information to the Payroll Office at your School. 

For Columbia Employees Only: The total amount you donate will be divided by one less than the number of paychecks you receive in that year and deducted from each paycheck until your committed donation amount is reached. Due to the complexity of Payroll donations, we request that your donation be $120 or more. If less, please consider donating via credit card or sending a check to the CCS office. 

If you have any questions about how the donation amount is being calculated, please contact the HR Service Center where you can log an incident, or call them at 212-851-2888.

Please make checks or money orders payable to: Columbia Community Service, and mail to:

Columbia University
535 West 116th Street
309 Low Library, Mail Code: 4319
New York, NY 10027

Please do not mail cash.

In addition to donating, employees can make a difference by becoming an ambassador for Columbia Community Service or by volunteering at any of the community organizations that receive CCS grants.  Please contact Joan Griffith-Lee for further information.

100% of donations are pooled and then allocated as grant awards to a diverse group of local community-based organizations.

Please send an email to the CCS staff at [email protected].

A new CCS campaign begins every year. If you made a one-time contribution by credit card, you have to donate again for the current campaign year. If you elected to roll over your payroll pledge to the following year, you do not have to submit another donation.

100% of every donation is tax-deductible. Receipts are sent immediately following each online credit card donation, and within five business days after the receipt of mailed donations. A final donor receipt is sent at the end of the calendar year for all payroll donations for tax reporting purposes. 

If you need verification of donations made in past years, please send an email to the CCS staff at [email protected].

In general, charitable gifts to Columbia Community Service are not refundable. However, if a donor needs a refund, they should contact CCS immediately.

CCS donations are pooled and grants are awarded based upon available funds.

Community organizations that apply for CCS grants are located as far South as 86th Street, and as far North as 155th Street, and from the Hudson River to Fifth Avenue.

Every year, the CCS Grant Committee evaluates grant applications and conducts site visits to assess agency needs. Applications are reviewed in March of each year, and site visits are conducted in April as part of the review process. A CCS staff member or ambassador will conduct the site visit to learn more about the organization’s services.

Employees and retirees can recommend organizations that are located in the catchment area. The organization is vetted to determine if they meet the criteria for funding.

CCS grant awards are non-restricted but should be used to support only the proposed project outlined in the grant application.

If you have already established a donor-advised fund and would like to recommend a grant or distribution for Columbia Community Service, the check should be made payable to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York with Columbia Community Service as the grantee. The tax ID to be used is: 13-5598093. The address is: Columbia University, 535 West 116th Street, Room 309, Low Library, New York, NY 10027.