Choose a donation cause and make your donation safely and securely through the online payment service. Donations can be made through all Finnish online banks as well as with most credit cards online. You can make a donation to the University’s funds or to other causes and campaigns.
You can make donations up to 20,000 euros online.
For donations over 850 euros or more we kindly ask you to send us a deed of donation.
Make a donation to support specific projects or other donated funds by paying your donation to the account of the University of Helsinki Funds. The funds are administered by the University of Helsinki Funds.
Nordea: IBAN = FI15 1660 3001 0767 70, BIC = NDEAFIHH
Recipient: University of Helsinki Funds
Message: Name of the fund or the project, name of the donor and contact information
For donations over 850 euros or more we kindly ask you to send us a deed of donation.
You can also support a discipline important to you as a monthly donor. Monthly donations are a straightforward way of providing long-term support for research and teaching.
How to become a monthly donor easily online
For donations over 850 euros or more we kindly ask you to send us a deed of donation.
Download the deed of donation.
Send the deed of donation to:
Donor Relations, P.O. Box 53 (Fabianinkatu 32), FI-00014 University of Helsinki
We can also send the deed of donation for you to sign electronically via UniSign. If you wish to sign electronically using the UniSign system, please contact us at lahjoittajasuhteet@helsinki.fi or tel. 029 41 21650.
The University of Helsinki collaborates with Myriad USA - formerly the King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS) - to facilitate donations from the US. This enables the university to receive tax-deductible gifts from supporters in the US, as the organization is registered as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.
To donate to the university via Myriad USA, simply click here and select donate. There are many ways to give.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at donate@helsinki.fi if you have any questions relating to your donation or donating to the University of Helsinki.
Our Thinkletter newsletter, sent out 6 times a year, provides information on the impact of donations as well as topical issues relating to donating and the University. The newsletter is sent to all donors who include their email address on the online donation form or the deed of donation. We are also happy to send the newsletter to anyone who is interested in donating.
Additionally, donors will receive an email a few times a year discussing current affairs relating to donating. We also send donors invitations to University events a few times a year.
You can unsubscribe from the mailing list for the newsletter and/or our other messages by clicking on the link in the newsletter, or by contacting us via email or phone.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, contact donate(a)helsinki.fi.
Private individuals and communities can deduct annual donations of €850 or more from tax.
Donations between €850 and €500,000 made over a single calendar year by private individuals and estates to Finnish universities are tax deductible.
The right of deduction has been in force since 1 January 2016 and applies to earned income.
Provisions on deductions for donations are issued in section 98 a of the Income Tax Act (1535/1992), and they also apply to monetary donations to purposes promoting art and science. The prerequisite for deduction is that the donation has been made to a publicly funded university or other higher education institution located in the European Economic Area or to a university fund operating in connection with such an institution.
The University submits information about donations to the tax authorities after the end of each tax year. The University needs a deed of donation, which also includes the donor’s personal identity code, for each donation.
Organisations have the right to deduct from tax monetary donations of €850 to €250,000 that have been made to promote the preservation of art, science or Finnish cultural heritage to an EEA state or to a publicly funded university or other higher education institution located in the EEA or to a university fund operating in connection with such an institution. In this context, organisation means a limited liability company, association or foundation.
If you are a US resident, you can donate to the University of Helsinki through Myriad USA - formerly the KBFUS. This will make you eligible for a tax deduction in the US (Myriad USA is considered a public charity under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code). Read more about donating in the United States above.
The National Police Board has granted the University of Helsinki a money collection licence (RA/2020/737) on 18 June 2020, valid in all of Finland with the exception of the Åland Islands. The raised funds will be used according to section 2 of the Universities Act (558/2009). The University of Helsinki organises the fundraising independently.
The assets of the University of Helsinki endowment funds are part of the University of Helsinki Funds (that is, the University’s own assets). The investment of donated assets follows an overall policy that enables the University of Helsinki to ensure a stable return on the fund capital. Decisions on how to invest the assets are made by the administrative committee of each fund. The University’s basic capital also includes an item for endowment funds. The rector decides on the use of the return on this capital.
Our investment activities are guided by the principles for responsible investment activities approved by the University Board on 12 June 2019. The University of Helsinki published its first report on responsible investment activities on 28 April 2020.
We are a long-term investor and seek to ensure that our investments yield good returns and positive performance over a long period. We believe that a responsible company which considers environmental and social factors and follows good administrative practices is a better investment in the long term.
The operations of the University of Helsinki are founded on the University’s values of truth, freedom, Bildung and inclusivity; the regulations of the University and its Funds as well as their strategic plans, guidelines and ethical principles; and valid legislation. Compliance with the ethical principles of fundraising and donating at the University of Helsinki while treating donors respectfully, is required in all of the University's fundraising activities and donor relations. For further information on the processing of donor personal data, please see our data protection statement.
Books are the interface to education and learning. At the University of Helsinki, we strive to provide students with the best possible learning environment. Easy access to the latest academic and scientific knowledge is a prerequisite for research and studies. A gift of €50 enables us to purchase a textbook that can help numerous students become top experts.
Your donation can help the Helsinki University Library procure electronic materials, journals and textbooks.
Make a birthday, graduation or retirement unforgettable by directing gifts to one of the University of Helsinki funds. Anniversary donations become permanent contributions to the development of academic knowledge.
Anniversary remembrances are earmarked for supporting students or promoting research in a discipline dear to you. The returns can be directly allocated to a specific cause or used to establish a fund that carries the name indicated by the donor and focuses on supporting a discipline valued by the donor.
As the organiser of an anniversary fundraising campaign, you are also welcome to join Club Giraffe, our donor community.
We will help you design a personal message and celebrate your anniversary in the manner best suited to you.
Material donations play an important role in building the collections of libraries and museums. Material donations made by individuals, companies and organisations are wonderful additions to the University’s collections. They support research and teaching and give a boost to exhibitions.
The National Library of Finland and museums are grateful for donations of books, objects and collections related to their activities. Even small donations can be immensely valuable for the University’s history or the expansion of collections.
For example, the family of mammoths showcased at the Change in the Air exhibition was donated by an association called Jääkausi, which made life-sized reconstructions of the mammoths as well as, among others, the woolly rhinoceros and giant deer. The animal models were constructed under the guidance of experts from the University of Helsinki.
Would you like to donate material to us? Please contact our fundraising team!
An investment of €3.4 million in an endowed professorship can help open up a whole new field of research. When you donate to a professorship, you help support the pioneering nature of an important research field or the creation of an entirely new one.
A permanent professorship, named in cooperation with the donor, can be established with a donation of €3.4 million. The salary and other expenses related to the professorship are covered by the annual return that the University pays to the professorship fund.
A five-year professorship can be set up with a donation of €600,000.
The donor and University jointly define the field of the professorship. The University appoints the professor.
By establishing a named fund you can support a cause important to you on a permanent basis.
Named funds can be set up by individuals and organisations, and they can be established as independent funds or as part of a discipline-specific or other joint fund. The minimum capital of an independent named fund is €200,000 and that of a fund established as part of a discipline-specific fund is €2,000.
Would you like to establish a named fund? Please contact our fundraising team!
Funds named by donors receive a fixed annual return. The annual return paid for funds is 4%, but the distributable profit is 3%, since part of the return is left in the fund to preserve its real value.
The purpose of the fund is specified in the jointly drawn up rules. Decisions on how to use the return on funds are made by the University’s chief financial officer, while decisions on grants are made by the administrative committee of the fund to which the named fund belongs.
The University of Helsinki has nearly 300 funds, and their history can be traced back nearly 300 years.
A legacy gives you the opportunity to make a difference with the assets you leave behind. When accepting a legacy, the University undertakes to follow your wishes, as expressed in your will. The assets will be used to establish a fund carrying the name you wish. Specific rules for the fund will be drawn up based on the instructions in your will. The University’s experts can help you determine a purpose or cause for your legacy.