Donations

Did you know that household utility expenses are a significant factor in housing affordability? You can help low-income seniors, persons with disabilities, and households with children by making a tax deductible contribution to the City Utility Assistance Program. To learn more about the program, visit the Social Services page.

How do I donate?

To make a one time or ongoing gift to the City Utility Assistance Program, use our secure online form or complete and submit a donations formopens PDF file .

Share the Light provides an opportunity to support City programs that enhance our quality of life in Columbia. Your tax deductible contribution can be designated for one, or all, of these six areas:

Community arts programming

Your donation to community arts programming will enhance funds that are currently available for public art, arts education and support of local arts agencies. 

Community beautification

Your donation to community beautification will be used to landscape city and state right-of-ways, with a special focus on areas maintained by volunteers. 

Youth recreation scholarships

Your donation to youth recreation scholarships will allow kids and teens from families with low incomes to participate in Parks & Recreation programs. 

Public health

Your donation to public health will be used for public health programs such as dental education programs for children and emergency medical care in animal abuse cases.

Crime prevention

Your donation to crime prevention will be used to support crime prevention efforts, including community, youth, neighborhood, and volunteer programs grounded in community policing. 

Fire prevention & education

Your donation to fire prevention & education will be used to assist residents in low income households and older adults obtain smoke alarms for their homes and to provide life safety education materials to all residents.

How do I donate?

To make a one time or ongoing gift to Share the Light, use our secure online form or complete and submit a donations formopens PDF file .

The City of Columbia offers a variety of options for tax-deductible,  donor directed gifts.

Memorial Gifts

A thoughtful way to honor a loved one, friend or colleague is through a memorial gift. Contributions may be made to any area of the City. The individual being honored or family of the deceased individual will be notified of the contribution and a permanent record of such gift will be maintained in the official records of the City. 

Memorial gifts can be left to a number of programs with the City of Columbia:

• Trees & park benches
• Social services
• Youth recreation scholarships
• Park improvements
• Public art
• Public health
• Public safety
• Environmental programs

Restricted Gifts

You may have a special interest in an area of the City and choose to give a restricted or designated gift whose purpose is to strengthen a particular program, department or capital need. A restricted gift, if approved by the City Council, is used solely for the project(s) that you specify.

Unrestricted Gifts

An unrestricted gift allows the City to address its areas of greatest need. This type of gift provides the most flexibility when distributed. Such gifts may be combined with other funds to permit the City to achieve major institutional goals.

Endowments

To provide an ongoing revenue source for existing or new City programs, gifts may be used to create an endowment. An endowment agreement generally indicates that the principal be held in a fund and invested, and that a percentage of the income be used for specific purposes. As with any important financial decision, your CPA, tax attorney or tax adviser should be consulted.

How do I Donate?

To make a donor directed gift to the City of Columbia, please contact: