Donations made through USC are tax deductible.
From Midshipmen to Leaders: Investing in the Next Generation of Naval Officers
Every graduate of the USC Naval ROTC program shares a common experience: the challenge of balancing a world-class university education with the demands of preparing to serve as an officer in the United States Navy or Marine Corps. The lessons learned during these years extend far beyond the classroom. USC NROTC develops leaders. It teaches discipline, accountability, teamwork, and the importance of service before self. It prepares young men and women to lead Sailors and Marines around the world, often in situations where lives and missions depended on their judgment and character.
Alumni giving helps provide resources that the Alumni League uses to strengthen the USC Midshipman experience, enhance professional development opportunities, support leadership training, and create scholarships that make it possible for outstanding students to pursue their commission. Contributions also help preserve and strengthen a program that has produced generations of distinguished naval officers and Marine leaders. Supporting the Alumni League is more than donating. It is an investment in leadership. It is a commitment to the values of honor, courage, and commitment. It is a way to ensure that future generations of officers receive the same opportunities, mentorship, and preparation that helped shape our own careers.
The Alumni League Bylaws requests that every NROTC alumni, as well as Associate Members, make an annual donation, currently set at $50. Your contribution funds a wide range of midshipman activities each year as shown in Programs or as requested by the PNS or BNCO and approved by the League Board of Directors. Your gifts also fund our annual awards, including Sword Awards. Five officer swords are presented to graduating seniors each spring. See Programs for details. Support our Professional Development Programs including the Glider Flight Program, Sailing Program, and Shooting Range time.
Alumni donations also fund five $2,500 grants given to Midshipmen with financial needs each semester. See Programs for details.
Use this link to pay your $50 annual donation online with a debit/credit card.
All payments are processed through USC and are tax deductible. You have the option to set up a monthly contribution or a recurring annual contribution to simplify your life.
Don’t worry we still accept checks through the mail! Send your check to:
USC NROTC Alumni League
Edward Tannenbaum, Treasurer
12812 Bristol Circle
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Ways to Give
Fortunately, USC has a variety of ways for you to donate to the university (and the Naval ROTC Alumni League). There are two main gift funds that support the Alumni League.
- USC Naval ROTC Alumni Fund (GF1013918): Used by the Alumni League to meet expenses in the current year to support extracurricular programs (Gliders, Sailing and Shooting), midshipman participation in competitive events such as the Colorado Meet or Northwest Navy Competition, officer swords awarded to top ranked graduating seniors, alumni outreach and more.
- USC NROTC Endowed Success Fund (GF1013917): Funds given to the Success Fund are invested by USC and the annual investment income becomes a predicable source of support for multiple MIDN scholarships and other professional development activities.
Outright Gifts
- Cash Gifts: Gifts made by check, credit/debit card, cashier’s check, money order or wire transfer go straight to the fund of your choice. Checks can be made out to University of Southern California or USC. Please include NROTC Alumni League in the memo section along with the name of the fund to which you would like to give. Mail to our Treasurer at the address listed at the back of The Log. Credit/debit cards can be used to donate via USC’s online portal. Gifts can be one time, monthly or recurring annual donations.
NOTE: Beginning in the 2026 tax year, an additional IRS deduction allows non-itemizers to deduct cash donations to charity—up to $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly—and further reduce their taxable income.
- Gifts of appreciated securities, stocks and bonds: Securities provide considerable tax advantages when transferred to USC before they are sold. If you have held your securities for more than one year, you may find that your gift will provide a two-fold tax benefit, creating an income-tax deduction as well as helping avoid capital gains taxes that would have been due upon their sale.
- Matching Gifts: Many employers will match your gift to USC, making it an easy way to double or even triple the value of your gift. Please send your contribution as indicated above, along with a completed matching gift form (available from your company’s HR office). For online gifts, simply follow the matching gift instructions when you fill out the form.
Planned Gifts
- Bequests: Include USC in your will or revocable living trust to create a lasting legacy for future generations of Navy and Marine Corps officers. A bequest costs nothing today and can be modified if your circumstances change.
- Gifts of Real Estate: Donating a personal residence, vacation home, rental property, farmland, or vacant land may provide significant tax advantages while eliminating the responsibilities of ownership.
- Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs): Make a gift to USC and receive fixed, guaranteed payments for life. A CGA can provide dependable retirement income, potential tax benefits, and the satisfaction of supporting USC NROTC.
- Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs): Transfer appreciated assets to a trust that provides income to you or your beneficiaries for life or a term of years. At the end of the trust term, the remaining assets support USC NROTC. CRTs can help diversify highly appreciated assets while offering potential tax and estate planning benefits.
- Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs): Recommend grants from your DAF to support USC NROTC at a time that aligns with your charitable goals. To direct a grant to USC, use the University’s Tax ID (EIN): 95-1642394.
*** For questions about making a current or deferred gift or pledge, contact Erika Bernal at erikaber@usc.edu or (213) 764-4684, or reach out to your NROTC Alumni League at uscnrotcalumni@gmail.com