Giving to ORU

Gifts of Cash

The simplest and fastest way to give to ORU is to write a check or to use your credit or debit card to make a gift on our online giving site.  www.oru.edu/give

When you give through the Thrivent Choice® online  giving platform, Thrivent will pay the donation processing fees. That means 100% of your gift goes to ORU, and ORU does not have to pay those fees. You can give through your credit card, debit card, or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) through your checking/savings account.

Make a gift through Thrivent Choice®

You may mail gifts to ORU:

Oral Roberts University
7777 South Lewis Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74171

Text to Give: Text an amount and ORU WLWW to 45777. (Example: $500 ORU WLWW)

You can do a Wire Transfer: Working with your bank, you can use ORU’s Wire Transfer from anywhere in the world. Contact the Development office at 918-495-7220 or development@oru.edu if you have any questions.

Cash gifts may be made as a pledge to be paid over a specified period. Print out an ORU Pledge Form and include it along with your first gift.

For more information about making a major gift, please call the Development office at 918-495-7220.

Gifts of Assets

Creative gifts of assets can include stocks, bonds, securities, and tangible property.  These can provide you with a charitable deduction, but often with an additional tax savings as well.

Securities and real estate: A gift of securities or real estate will allow you to gain even more significant tax benefits than an equivalent gift of cash, especially if you’ve held the appreciated property for more than a year.

Stocks: Making a gift of stock can be of great benefit to you at tax time. If you have held stock for more than a year, and its value has increased, you can avoid capital gains taxes by donating it to a nonprofit like ORU. You will still be eligible to deduct the stock’s full fair-market value from your income taxes—up to the overall amount that is allowed by the IRS. Please be sure to complete and submit ORU’s Stock Donation Form to help us track your gift and ensure that the proceeds are applied to the program you would like to support (e.g., campaign, scholarships). Contact the Development office for more details.

Real Estate: There are many options for donating real property such as your home, second home, vacation property, vacant land, farmland, ranch, commercial property or other real estate. Donors who make a gift of real estate can receive a charitable income tax deduction for the full market value of the asset and pay no capital gains tax on the transfer. Please contact the Development office for more information.

Tangible property: If you’d like to contribute items of historic value, such as artwork, rare books or personal collections, we’ll be happy to arrange for their transfer.

Cryptocurrency: A gift of cryptocurrency or digital currency can be beneficial to you at tax time, especially if you have held the currency for over a year. By clicking here, you can donate your cryptocurrency to ORU and choose your specific designation. Cryptocurrency is considered to be a noncash donation for tax deduction purposes. Donations of more than $5,000 in cryptocurrency will require an appraisal reportable on IRS Form 8283. Please be sure to consult your tax advisor for specific benefits, guidelines, and forms.

Planned Gifts

A planned, or deferred, gift — such as a bequest made through your will or a gift of life insurance — enables you to make a larger gift to Oral Roberts University than you may have thought possible, while providing financial security for you and your family. ORU partners with FreeWill – a free, online estate planning resource – to make it easy for you to make a plan for your future and support the next generation of students for years to come. With this secure, self-guided platform, you can protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community in as little as 20 minutes. 

Get started and build your legacy today. 

Alternatively, our Guide to Planned Giving will help you explore the many excellent options available to create a planned giving strategy that meets your needs and goals. We’ll also be happy to work with you and your legal or financial counsel to develop a plan that will benefit you and ORU. Click here to read more about Planned Giving with ORU, and here to fill out a Statement of Future Gift.

Gifts to Create an Endowment

Endowments are essential to developing and maintaining vitality, quality, and longevity at ORU. Your endowment gift makes a lasting difference. ORU offers a range of endowment options—from Named Scholarships to named endowments of a building, college, or faculty position. For more information, please contact the Development office at 918-495-7220 or development@oru.edu.

Commemorative Gifts

You may make a gift to ORU in honor or in memory of an individual or to mark a special occasion or event. See the Memorial Gifts page. 

Matching Gifts

If you or your spouse are employed by a matching gift company, your gift to ORU may be doubled, or even tripled. You can check to determine if your employer will match your donation by using the Match Finder. 

Scholarships

Many students depend on scholarships to fund their college education. ORU is grateful for donors who have set up scholarship funds to help our students remain enrolled and complete their degrees so they can fulfill the calling that God has placed on their lives. If you would like to establish a scholarship, we offer some options: Named Scholarships (Donor-Funded/Endowed) and Named Quest Scholarships. Click on the links to learn more, or contact the Development office at 918-495-7220 or development@oru.edu.

Faculty and Staff Payroll Deduction

ORU faculty and staff are invited to set up automatic giving through the payroll deduction program. Giving of your first fruits is another way to be an integral part of the work of ORU! To set up a payroll deduction, please click here.