Become a Donor to the IfA
We encourage all Friends to become donors to support education and research at IfA. It's simpleWhat you get as a donor
Donors may have these opportunities
Meet Astronomers
To meet IfA’s prominent astronomers, who observe on the world’s premier telescopes on Mauna Kea and Haleakala
Attend Lectures
To attend lectures to learn about the latest developments in astronomy and space missions
Tour Facilities
To tour facilities at one of the world’s top astronomical centers
Star Parties
To participate in star parties and astronomy workshops
As a donor you automatically become a member of the Friends of the Institute for Astronomy and have exciting opportunities to explore our Universe. We invite you to support research and education of interest and benefit to everyone.
How to Become a Donor
To become a donor, use either one of the following methods. In either case, you decide on the amount of your donation. We encourage you to help the IfA as much as you can. Your gift is fully tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
- Print and fill out a donation form and mail or fax it, as indicated on the form. OR
- Use the University of Hawaii Foundation secure Web site. UHF processes all donations to the IfA.
For more information, please e-mail or call:
- Send an e-mail to donations@ifa.hawaii.edu.
- Call the Director’s office at (808) 956-8566.
For more information about making gifts and bequests to the Institute for Astronomy, please see More Information About Giving below.
Donor Benefits
Donors receive the following benefits:
- E-mail or printed invitations to public events, including the quarterly Frontiers of Astronomy lectures, the annual IfA Open House, and more
- E-mail or printed subscription to the IfA quarterly newsletter, Na Kilo Hoku
Donors may also receive these benefits:
- Invitations and advanced notice to special events, such as lectures by internationally known scientists
- Invitations to receptions to meet scientists, laboratory tours, star parties, and astronomy workshops
Observatory Tours and Workshops
IfA offers tours of either the Mauna Kea Observatories and UH IfA Hilo facilities or the Haleakala Observatories and UH IfA Pukalani facilities. The purpose of the tours is to learn how astronomers do their research. As a donor you may receive an invitation to the tour. The workshops and tours are free, but participants pay for their own travel expenses and are charged a fee for group meals and snacks.
More Information About Giving
Gifts and bequests to benefit the Institute for Astronomy are an important means of enhancing educational and research programs. They are tax deductible to the extent provided by law and may be made in the form of securities or through estate gifts. Opportunities to support the IfA’s education, research, and outreach goals include the following:
- Sponsoring student or post-doctoral fellows
- Providing gifts of laboratory or computer equipment
- Endowing a named faculty position or research group within the IfA
Donations go to an IfA fund used for such activities as public outreach and graduate student support, at the discretion of the IfA Director. Donors of more than $500 may direct their donations to specific programs, such as graduate student support, research support, or undergraduate teaching. Please contact the Friends at donations@ifa.hawaii.edu or (808) 956-6665 if you wish to designate your gift for a specific program. The Friends governing council tracks the use of all donations.