FAQ

It’s great to hear that you’re giving already. Part of what we’re trying to do is build a philanthropic mindset across MIT generally, so we’re thrilled that you’re getting involved on your own!

There are lots of good reasons why you should give to the CSF, but here it is in a nutshell: our work supports Cambridge and the Greater Boston community while making MIT stronger at the same time. It provides important learning and leadership opportunities to our students, and demonstrates that the Institute is committed to serving as a good neighbor. And, it helps build a culture of philanthropy at MIT that has the power to extend far beyond Cambridge.

You can, but you should know that unlike many other organizations, CSF doesn't take any cut out of donations. 100% of what you give goes to one of the many nonprofits or MIT volunteers that have applied to CSF for funding. Our staff get paid by MIT, not by donations, so you’re funding initiatives—not our costs.

Ultimately, we want to deliver as many resources as possible to worthwhile organizations that are supporting people throughout Cambridge and Greater Boston.

If you have a strong motivation to give to a particular organization, we encourage you to continue your involvement. But we also want to explain why some colleagues choose to support CSF:

• We support a wide range of organizations, so odds are that one of our partners is doing work in the area you care about—from food insecurity and child and family services to K-12 academic enrichment and beyond.  
• The organizations we fund and support are truly local. They may lack the name recognition of national and global groups, but our grantees are on the ground, in the community and with the community. They’re close to the problems that their constituents are facing, which makes them ideally positioned to provide short- and long- term support.

Whether your donation is one dollar or one hundred, twice a month or twice a year, every contribution makes a difference for those in need. That dollar might mean a healthy meal, a book for a child, or warm clothing. And your gift might inspire a colleague to give, too.

In fact, if we were to collect just ten dollars from every MIT employee, we would raise almost $130,000. Imagine the good we could do if everyone gave ten dollars each month!

The CSF model is structured to collect the largest possible pool of funds, then distribute it to organizations on a regular and predictable basis. Grantees receive consolidated grants rather than well-intentioned but oftentimes sporadic, unpredictable donations. That dependable stream of income allows them to budget effectively and buy materials or coach and oversee MIT volunteers.

A CSF donation can go farther than you might think, so we hope you’ll consider giving to CSF in addition to the organizations you support closer to home. 

The Community Service Fund supports communities in Cambridge and Greater Boston, but it also makes all of MIT stronger. It provides important learning and leadership opportunities to our students, and demonstrates that the Institute is committed to serving as a good neighbor. And, it helps build a culture of philanthropy at MIT that has the power to extend far beyond our campus.

You sure can. Just visit the “Charitable Contributions” page on Atlas.

We know that there are high-quality organizations doing important work on some of society’s most pressing issues, and that they need support. CSF needs you, too.

CSF grants are also managed and distributed by a board of trustees composed of staff, faculty, and students from across MIT. Their oversight ensures that donations make the maximum impact in the community. And, 100% of your gift to CSF goes directly to grants. With other organizations, it’s usually closer to 85%.

The initiatives we support may not grab headlines, but they’re making tangible impact at a community level. Our grantees are working to create structural change that addresses the root causes of injustice. It’s the same, crucially important work being done through more high profile, Go-Fund-Me type campaigns, but it’s truly happening at the local level.

Enrolling in payroll deduction via Atlas is the best way to ensure that CSF can provide consistent funding to the organizations and initiatives we support.

Atlas provides set-it-and-forget it functionality that eliminates the need for you to manually break annual donations into monthly installments. It also gives you easy access to your giving history and ensures that donations are automatically recorded on your year-end W2. It is the most convenient, effective way to give.

We’re grateful for all contributions, and we’re happy to accept one-time donations. But the more community members give regularly, as opposed to seasonally (even in smaller amounts than they might otherwise!), the more giving becomes a regular part of our culture at MIT.

The CSF is incredibly grateful for all support we receive, including donations from outside the MIT community! You can make a one-time gift or a recurring donation here. Thank you!

Payroll deductions benefitting the CSF or the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley are made monthly by internal transfer or wire payment. Payroll deductions to any other charity supported through our giving site are made three times a year by check. Deductions made in January through April are sent by check in May, May through August are sent in September, and September through December are sent in early January to qualify for the previous tax season.

If you would like your donation to arrive as fast as possible, we encourage you to make your donation by credit card. MIT covers all credit card fees, and a check is processed from MIT to the recipient organization immediately. These checks usually arrive in about one week.