Donation
Options

Commemorative Donations: Honor Someone by Making a Truly Meaningful Gift

If you would like to make a donation to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in honor of, or in memory of someone, please click here and make your donation online. 

In the comments field on the donation form, you can designate a person to be honored or memorialized by your contribution.  Dedicated gifts can include a certificate that we can customize for you.

Planned Giving: Leave a Lasting Legacy for Future Generations

By leaving a gift to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in your will, trust or by beneficiary designation, you create a legacy that will spark scientific discovery for generations to come.  A bequest to STRI will ensure that we can continue to be leaders in frontier science and training the next generation of tropical researchers.

Please email Kate Hibbs or call 202-633-4017 for more information on the various planned giving options available.

Corporate Matching Gifts: “Supersize” Your Support

Employer matching gifts are a great way to maximize your support for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.  Many employers (or their parent companies) will match charitable contributions made by their current and retired employees.  Most participating corporations will give charitable gifts at an equal amount or greater. 

Ask your employer about its matching gifts policy and procedures.

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Public-Private Partnership for STEM Education

If your employer has a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) office and supports STEM education efforts, working with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute can be a mutually beneficial collaboration for both organizations.  With over 30,000 Panamanian schoolchildren participating in STRI’s public programs each year, corporate support enables the STRI to continue its work and fulfill its mission to transform the teaching and learning of science for teachers and students in our host country of Panama.  A charitable partnership with the Smithsonian in Panama is a great way to promote a company’s brand and elevate its reputation. 

Contact your company’s Community Relations department to explore possible CSR opportunities with STRI.

Gifts of Stock

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute accepts gifts of both marketable and closely held securities.  Gifts of appreciated publicly traded securities that you have held for longer than 12 months allow you to claim a charitable deduction for the full market value of the securities on the date the gift is made while avoiding tax on the capital gain.

Please email giftregistration@si.edu for instructions on giving a gift of securities to STRI.

Endowments

An endowment to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is a fund that you can establish to provide support to STRI in perpetuity.  A percentage of the earnings from the fund is distributed to STRI annually, allowing us to continue our work while the fund continues to grow.  The fund may be created with cash donations, pledges and/or appreciated stock. 

There are dozens of STRI endowments to which you can contribute, that support everything from research expeditions, to fellowships, chairs, and other strategic initiatives. Unrestricted named endowments will allow us to use the funds wherever the need is greatest.

Contact Kate Hibbs for guidance on making an endowment gift to the STRI.