Our Finances & Managing Your Gift
College Finances
The most recent set of College financial information can be found in the Annual Report and Financial Statements, which serves as the trustees' annual report. Past copies of Annual Reports and Financial Statements can be found on the University's website.
How does Merton manage your gift?
As a valued donor, you have control over where your gift to Merton College is allocated and the purpose for which it is used. Typically, most major gifts (those of £25,000 or above) received by the College are restricted for a specific programme or project. A gift is restricted when the donor indicates on a cheque, donation form, or other correspondence, a specific purpose for the gift.
Restricted gifts are deposited into one of over 100 College accounts, and the designation of a gift is confirmed on the receipt sent to the donor. If the gift is made on condition that it should be invested for recurrent use, rather than spent, it is a permanent endowment. Otherwise, it could be an expendable endowment (where spending of the capital is permitted under certain conditions) or a spend-down fund.
We aim to acknowledge all donations within three working days of receipt. Our practices and procedures are overseen by the College’s Benefactions Committee, comprised of Mertonians and College Officers, who regularly review our processes to ensure: that your gift is properly acknowledged and allocated, that our processes are transparent, and that we provide a good service to all donors who make a gift to Merton.
