Gifts of Stock
Instructions for transferring stock to Caltech vary depending on whether physical delivery of stock is being made (actual certificates and stock powers) or the stock is being sent electronically through DTC (shares are currently held at a bank, brokerage house, etc.) The following are instructions for both:

DTC (Depository Trust Company) Transfer
Step One
Direct your broker or custodian bank to make the transfer to Caltech. Your broker or custodian bank is likely to ask you for a letter of instruction before the transfer can be made. Provide the following DTC transfer information for Caltech to your broker or custodian bank:

CHARLES SCHWAB

DTC Participant #: 0164 code 40
Caltech Clearing Account #2009-8618
Reference: (donor name & purpose of gift)**
**without this note, gifts are difficult to identify.

Step Two
Notify Caltech of your gift. Send a copy of your letter of instructions via:

Email: giftplanning@caltech.edu
Phone: 626-395-2927
Fax: 626-395-5894
Mail: Caltech, Office of Gift Planning
         Mail Code 5-32
         1200 E. California Blvd. 
         Pasadena, CA 91125

Please be sure the following information is included:

  • Your Name
  • Your Address
  • Name of Security
  • Number of Shares
  • Purpose of the Gift
  • Name of Brokerage

PLEASE NOTE: Your gift will be dated according to the day the shares enter Caltech's clearing account at Charles Schwab. The value of your gift will be based on that date. At busy times of the year, the DTC system can back up.

Year-end gifts: Be sure to allow extra time for the transfer from your broker's account to Caltech's Charles Schwab account, and emphasize to your broker the importance of completing the transfer by December 31. When the 31st falls on a weekend, the transfer should be completed by the preceding Friday.

Physical Delivery
Step One
Fill out stock power form(s). You will need to fill out a separate stock power for each stock issue you wish to donate.

Step Two
Write a brief cover letter indicating the number and type of shares, the company(ies), and the purpose of your stock gift. This will expedite our acknowledgment process.

Step Three
Mail the certificate(s) without any endorsement or assignment along with your letter (Step Two) via first class mail to

California Institute of Technology
Mail Code 5-32
1200 E. California Boulevard
Pasadena, CA 91125

Step Four
In a separate envelope, mail the stock power form(s) you filled out in Step One to the same address.

Note: The date of your gift will be the date of the later of the two postmarks on the envelopes. We will value your gift based on that date. Year-end gifts must be postmarked by December 31 to be deductible for the current tax year. When the 31st falls on a weekend, we recommend mailing your gift by the preceding Friday to ensure it will be postmarked in time.

PLEASE NOTE: The IRS has determined that gifts and/or stock certificates sent via courier services other than the United States Postal Service (including Federal Express, DHL, UPS, etc.) can only be counted in the year they were sent if the Institute receives and signs for them no later than December 31. Normal USPS mail, including Express and Priority Mail packages, are the only packages for which the postmark can be used to determine the gift date.

If you plan to use a non-USPS service and the 31st falls on a weekend, your gift must arrive at Caltech by 5:00 p.m. on the preceding Friday.