The quickest, easiest way to donate to Semester at Sea
Make a one-time or sustaining monthly, quarterly, or annual gift through our secure online giving portal.
You may make a donation in someone’s honor or memory, or give to a specific fund.
Giving Matters
Your Gift Can Change a Student’s Life.
At Semester at Sea, we see firsthand the impact our global comparative education program has on our voyagers’ educations and futures. And, because we are an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization, we are completely dependent on philanthropic gifts from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, Lifelong Learners, friends, foundations, and corporations to supplement enrollment revenues and make sailing with us a possibility for a broader range of students.
Support the SAS Annual Fund
Gifts to the Semester at Sea Annual Fund have an immediate impact on our ability to provide transformational global study abroad experiences to hundreds of students each semester.
Scholarships and Endowments
You may make a donation in someone’s honor or memory, or give to a specific fund. Learn more about the funds your donation can support.
What does giving mean to SAS?
Help students take on the future
Tomorrow’s world needs the global perspectives Semester at Sea fosters in its voyagers.
Support diversity & inclusion
The financial aid opportunities supported by giving help us create a more diverse, inclusive shipboard community.
Ensure the future of Semester at Sea
All donations contribute to the financial security that will allow students to continue to sail for many years to come.
Sustain award-winning teaching
Our donors help make it possible for us to attract some of the best, most dedicated faculty from around the world.
How to Get Involved
Explore the Many Ways to Support Semester at Sea
- Give Online
- 60th Anniversary Access Endowed Fund
- Give by Mail
- Planned Giving
- Matching Gifts
- Cryptocurrency
- Stocks, Bonds, & Securities
- Honor Roll of Donors
- Choose Your Fund
- Contact Us
Give Online
60th Anniversary Access Endowed Fund
Gifts to this fund can ensure that deserving students have the opportunity to explore the world, broaden their horizons, and cultivate a global perspective.
Give by Mail
Make a donation by check
Please note that, although Semester at Sea’s headquarters are in Fort Collins, Colorado, all mailed gifts are processed through our secure lockbox in Dallas, Texas.
To donate, send a check made payable to “Institute for Shipboard Education” to:
Institute for Shipboard Education
P.O. Box 842945
Dallas, TX 75284-2945
Please designate the fund(s) you would like to support with your gift.
Planned Giving
Designate a gift to Semester at Sea as part of your estate planning
The generosity of a planned gift helps ensure the future of Semester at Sea’s life-changing program.
We will work with you to find a charitable plan that lets you provide for your family and support Semester at Sea and the Institute for Shipboard Education.
Matching Gifts
Double or triple your gift to Semester at Sea.
Search for your (or your spouse’s) employer to find out if they are one of the 19,000 companies that generously matches gifts to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations like Semester at Sea.
If so, complete the employee/donor portion of your employer’s matching gift form and send it with your gift to:
Semester at Sea
2243 Centre Avenue #300
Fort Collins, CO 80526
The Institute for Shipboard Education/Semester at Sea’s Tax ID# is: 95-3075415.
Does your employer match gifts?
Cryptocurrency
Donating cryptocurrency directly is more tax efficient and can save you money.
The IRS classifies cryptocurrency as property for tax purposes, which means it is typically the most tax-efficient way to support your favorite cause. When donating crypto, you receive a tax deduction for the fair market value of the currency, and you avoid capital gains tax.
That means you’re able to donate more, as well as deduct more on your tax return. The difference? Sometimes more than 30%. Provide an email to automatically receive a tax receipt after donating.
Stocks, Bonds, & Securities
Donating shares of appreciated stock, bonds, mutual funds, and other securities is a tax-efficient way to give.
When you donate securities in lieu of cash, you do not pay any capital gains tax on the appreciation of the securities, and you receive a deduction for their full market value on the date of the gift.
Electronic transfer is the easiest way to give securities held by a bank or brokerage. Information for DTC-eligible transfers and mutual fund transfers/registrations is listed below. To assist us in processing your gift, please be sure to include the Institute for Shipboard Education’s account number and reference “Gift from [name of donor]” on all security transfers.
DTC Transfer Information:
DTC Participant Number: 0141
Agent Name: Wells Fargo/Roanoke VA
Account Number: 35652693
Account Name: Institute for Shipboard Education
Attention: Lloyd Laughlin
Mutual Fund Transfer Information:
First Clearing, LLC
FBO: Institute for Shipboard Education
Account Number: 35652693
One North Jefferson Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63103
Honor Roll of Donors
Semester at Sea appreciates all who invest in the global education of our students. Semester at Sea’s Donor Honor Rolls recognize those who contributed to the organization between June 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024.
Choose Your Fund
Support scholarships, the SAS Annual Fund, and Field Programs at Semester at Sea.
Find information, videos, and descriptions of the various funds our donors support on our Semester at Sea Impact portal. You may donate directly on the portal, or name a fund in your donation via any of the other methods listed here.
To increase your impact, funds listed on our portal are shareable via social media, and we invite you to bring your friends and family aboard on your giving journey.
Contact Us
We are here to make supporting Semester at Sea as easy and seamless as possible.
Questions about giving? Contact us via email.
Recognized as a top non-profit by:
Your Gift Makes an Impact
Because of Semester at Sea I have learned to believe in myself regardless of the challenges, and I now fully embrace differences and view them in a positive way. SAS was just the beginning of the voyage of a lifetime for me and how I will impact this world.
I have always loved to travel and Semester at Sea introduced me to places and people that changed my life forever.
[On] Semester at Sea, I got to see 14 different countries in a period of three months. That just added a lot of richness and color and depth to my understanding of my place in the world, and what else was out there.
Semester At Sea was hands down, one of the most influential experiences of my life, education, and career. My voyage has afforded me opportunities and experiences that have helped me to not only be a better person, but a better business owner, leader and most importantly, a world citizen. If it wasn’t for the scholarships and grants I received, I never would have been able to attend. Through the generosity of others, my life trajectory was forever altered. And because of these generous souls I was inspired to create a SAS Scholarship Fund at my mom’s university.
60%
Students Receive Aid
Donor-funded scholarships make SAS accessible to more students.
$2.7M
Total Aid Given
Last year, SAS awarded more than 2.7 million dollars in financial aid.
20%
Operating Expenses
Donations cover more than one-fifth of SAS expenses.
$4.7M
Private Philanthropic Support
Donations from our supporters are a critical source of revenue.
(Cash and Pledge Payments received FY22)
Important:
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Change the World
Your Support of Global Education Matters More Than Ever.
Our voyagers experience new cultures, diverse religions, and the impact of economic disparity firsthand — and return inspired and energized to contribute to a better world. Your gift has an immediate impact on our ability to deliver life-changing experiences and world-class education by supporting scholarships, in-country experiences, and shipboard community enhancements.
