Your contribution goes right to work to educating the next generation of civic leaders. Through the comprehensive and transformative experiences offered by the Gephardt Institute, students are able to impact St. Louis today and are prepared to impact other communities tomorrow as alumni. 

Make a Gift Online

Donate to the Gephardt Institute today via the secure form below. You can select to make a one-time gift, make a recurring gift, give in honor or memory of someone else, and more.


How Does My Gift Make an Impact?

$50 or more supports an event that encourages civic engagement, such as a voter registration drive or a program featuring community partners to discuss pressing regional challenges.

$100 or more provides any of the following:

  • Community engagement training or facilitation for a student group.
  • Support for one of our weekly civic dialogue event series, “Food for Thought” and “Civic Cafe“, which engage students, staff, and faculty across disciplines.
  • Coverage for incidental expenses associated with Engage STL neighborhood immersion tours, which enable students to get off campus and connect with community partners.

$500 or more underwrites a Community Partnership Mini Grant through the Civic Engagement Fund for a community project, special event, or educational experience.

$1,000 or more supports any of the following:

  • Policy forum, such as the “What’s at Stake in the St. Louis City Election” panel discussion.
  • Funding for more substantial capacity-building grants through the Civic Engagement Fund. Options include student funding for a major project in partnership with a St. Louis organization.
  • A signature event for Civic Action Week, our annual weeklong initiative to highlight civic engagement opportunities throughout Washington University—in relationship with local community, campus partners, and beyond. 

$6,000 or more can fund any of the following:

  • One Gephardt Institute student intern per year (two semesters). The Gephardt Student Internship Program supports a team of highly talented and civic-minded student leaders who increase the institute’s capacity to foster a robust university-wide civic culture and impact. 
  • The Civic Summer experience of one Civic Scholar. This 2 year academic program includes a substantial project or internship between the Junior and Senior year, that relates to the student’s area of interest and coursework. Civic Scholars also engage in leadership development, skill-building, and group discussion designed to support their civic vision.
  • One stipend for a St. Louis Fellow to explore the St. Louis region while working full-time at a nonprofit or civic internship. Through this competitive 6-month fellowship program, undergraduate students also engage in an experiential curriculum to understand St. Louis’ history, culture, politics, challenges, and opportunities. 

The challenge for academic institutions is to get students to see reality, to see the world outside the buildings…to give students the real-life experience of being a citizen.

Former Congressman Richard Gephardt

Ways to Give:

Online Giving

Gifts to the Gephardt Institute’s Annual fund may be processed securely online (by credit card only).

Contribute Now

Contributing By Check

Please make your check payable to Washington University, note that it is for the Gephardt Institute, and send to:

Colleen Watermon
Washington University in St. Louis
CB 1060
7425 Forsyth Blvd
St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899

Contributing By Credit Card

Please send a note with your credit card number, expiration date, name as it appears on the card and indicate the amount you wish to give. It is important to have a signature on this note verifying your request. Please send to the above address.

Pledges

Major gifts to the Gephardt Institute may be pledged over a 2 to 5-year period. If you are interested in a pledge, please contact Colleen Watermon at cwatermon@wustl.edu.

Gifts of Securities or Stock

Giving appreciated securities that have been held more than 12 months allows you to claim a charitable deduction while avoiding capital gains tax. The extra tax savings you realize could make it possible for you to make a larger gift than you might have planned.

Planned Giving

By participating in planned giving, the Gephardt Institute can count on your continued support to provide valuable public service programs, service learning opportunities, and assistance to students for years to come. All gifts to the Gephardt Institute are fully tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes, and subject to any limitations placed on charitable gifts.


For more information, please contact Colleen Watermon, Director of Advancement, Gephardt Institute for Civic & Community Engagement, at 314-935-9221 or by email.