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Gift Fund - Donations to the Institute

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Can NINDS accept donations?

Yes. Even though the NINDS is not a fund-raising organization, the U.S. Congress has authorized the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to accept donations and bequests to support the mission of the Institute. Donations to the NINDS are deposited in a Gift Fund account and is separate from the funding received from Congress.

How are donations used?

The NINDS Mission is to reduce the burden of neurological disease – a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world. To support this mission, NINDS conducts, fosters, coordinates and guides research on the causes, prevention diagnosis, and treatment of neurological disorders and stroke, and supports basic research in related scientific areas.

For decades NINDS has supported many different projects through its Gift Fund. The following types of activities may be supported through the Gift Fund:

  • Research studies, including clinical research in our laboratories
  • Purchase of equipment and supplies for laboratories
  • Support of research workshops and conferences
  • Printing of materials about neurological diseases and stroke for the public, patients, and health professionals
  • Funding of research grants
  • Support of scientific staff recruitment efforts

How can someone donate to the Institute?

Individuals and organizations can donate to the NINDS Gift Fund by mailing a check or money order made payable to "National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke" or to "NINDS" with a letter stating that the money is to be used to support the mission of the NINDS. Donations and letters should be sent to:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Financial Management Branch
Building 31, Room 8A34
31 Center Drive, MSC 2540
Bethesda, MD 20892-2540

We acknowledge all donations with a thank you letter to the donor. If you wish to donate money in memory or in honor of someone, please include the name of the person in the accompanying letter. If you wish to have an acknowledgement sent to a third party (such as a family member of the memorialized or honored), please provide all the necessary information including the mailing address.

The NINDS often receives requests from family members of the memorialized or honored for information regarding those who made donations on behalf of their loved one. We cannot release this information without prior consent from the donor. If you have no concerns and are willing to have this information released to family members, please state this fact in the letter that accompanies your donation. Many times family members are interested in sending their own thank you and acknowledgement letters.

If someone wishes to leave money to the Institute in their Will, he or she should provide the address of the NINDS in the Will and indicate the bequest is to be used to support the mission of the NINDS.

For tax filing, the NINDS tax exempt number is 52-0858115.

What if I have additional questions?

If you have any further questions about gift fund donations, please call the NINDS Financial Management Branch at (301) 496-4927 or email to: giftfunds@ninds.nih.gov. General information requests should be made to: braininfo@ninds.nih.gov or by calling (800) 352-9424.

Reviewed September 9, 2002

Last updated June 23, 2008