Donations

The Linguistic Society of America is dedicated to advancing the scientific study of language. In service to its mission, LSA works to support linguists at every level - from high school students just learning about the field of linguistics, to graduate students, career faculty, emeritus professors, linguists working in practice settings, and Indigenous community language workers engaged on language documentation and preservation. LSA has a unique role to play as a shared organizational home for individuals working across the full range of linguistic specialty areas.  LSA also works to make the linguistic literature as broadly accessible as possible through its open access initiatives, and to advocate for evidence-based policies that reflect the scientific consensus on key matters related to language and language use. 

Special Thanks to Our FY2026 donors!

No matter the amount, your donation makes a difference

Please consider donating today by using one of the below links or Learn More About Ways to Give.

Select a fund to make a donation

• Linguistic Legacy Club

  The goal of the Linguistic Legacy Club is to establish an endowment that will secure the financial future of the Linguistic Society of America so we can continue to support the development, dissemination, and application of linguistic scholarship for the advancement of knowledge and betterment of society through research, practice, and teaching.

• 2026 Annual Fund

  The Executive Committee set a goal of $100,000 for this year’s Annual Fund drive because we want to continue the work you made possible last fiscal year. Members contributed $111,000 last year. This year, together, we can work to advance the discipline of linguistics, support linguistics students, build a “big tent” LSA, and bring the insights and empirical findings of our discipline to policy makers. 

• Centennial Student Fund

  Your donation to the Centennial Student Fund helps support student attendance and participation at the Annual Meeting, including travel grants for undergraduates with a demonstrated strong interest in linguistics and graduate students in linguistics or a related field who have not yet defended their dissertations. Funds can also be used to support other student needs related to the Annual Meeting, for example, by paying for childcare so a student member who is a parent can attend the meeting. 

• Financial Assistance and Student Support Fund

  LSA gives away more than $18,000 a year in free memberships to linguists for whom paying membership dues would represent an economic hardship. Free memberships are also available to K-12 teachers and students. A donation to this fund will help us continue to provide free memberships to those who need them. 

• Indigenous Scholarship Fund

  Established in 2024, the Indigenous Scholarship Fund provides financial support for individuals who have a deep and personal connection to, or abiding interest in, an Indigenous community of the Americas or the American Pacific to engage in scholarship focused on the languages of those communities, including but not limited to their documentation, preservation, and revitalization. The fund may be used to provide travel grants to help offset the costs associated with presenting at the LSA Annual Meeting or other purposes that advance the scientific study of Indigenous languages, understood to be the systematic and empirical processes of observation, testing, and knowledge building of the kinds found both within the academic scientific community, and also underlying the generations of knowledge that reside within and arise from many of the traditions within Indigenous communities themselves.

• Ken Hale Student Fellowship Fund

  The Ken Hale Student Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student who is pursuing a course of study to document endangered languages and work with communities toward their preservation. It provides tuition, travel, and room and board for a student to attend the Linguistic Institute. Contributions are still being accepting with the goal of generating sufficient earnings to support at least one student each year into the future.  

• Open Access Publications Fund

  LSA publishes two open access journals: Phonological Data and Analysis and Semantics and Pragmatics. Expenses for the journals include but are not limited to site hosting, stipends, copy editing and proof reading that total $30,000 year. A donation to this fund helps us continue to provide diamond open access to cutting edge linguistic research. 

• Yuki Kuroda Fellowship Fund

  Established in memory of LSA member and pre-eminent scholar of Japanese linguistics, Yuki Kuroda. Applications are open to LSA student members who study the linguistics of Japanese and who are currently living or studying in Japan. Preference will be given to students who have not started a graduate program in linguistics in the United States. The award can be used to cover tuition, travel, room and board.

The Linguistic Society of America is a 501.c.3 organization, tax ID 74-6043371. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. 

Ways to Give

As a tax-exempt charitable organization under section Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), donations to Linguistic Society of America (LSA) are generally tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Supporters can contribute in several ways depending on their financial goals and tax planning.

Cash Donations

The most common way to support LSA is through a cash gift. Donations can be made by credit card, debit card, check, electronic transfer, or through our online giving portal.

Cash donations are typically deductible in the year they are made. After receiving your contribution, we will provide a written acknowledgment for your records in accordance with Internal Revenue Service requirements.

Gifts of Stock or Securities

Donors may contribute publicly traded stocks, bonds, or mutual funds directly to LSA.  Gifts of appreciated securities can provide important tax advantages:

• You may receive a charitable deduction equal to the fair market value of the securities (subject to applicable limits).
• You may avoid capital gains tax that would otherwise be due if the securities were sold.

If you are interested in making a stock donation, please contact LSA for our brokerage information and transfer instructions.

Bequests and Estate Gifts (Linguistics Legacy Club)

Supporters may choose to include LSA in their estate plans through a charitable bequest. This can be accomplished by naming the organization in a will, trust, or other estate planning document.

A bequest allows you to make a meaningful future gift while retaining full control of your assets during your lifetime. Estate gifts may also reduce estate taxes depending on the structure of the gift.

Sample bequest language may be provided upon request to assist you or your legal advisor.

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from an IRA

Individuals age 70½ or older may make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) directly from their Individual Retirement Account to a qualified charity such as the Linguistic Society of America. QCDs may offer tax advantages because:

• The distribution is excluded from your taxable income (subject to annual limits).
• It can count toward your Required Minimum Distribution if you are subject to one.

To make a QCD, instruct your IRA custodian to send the distribution directly to LSA.  Please contact us if you would like assistance with the necessary information.

Other Giving Opportunities

Additional charitable giving options may include:

• Donor-advised fund grants
• Employer matching gifts
• Planned giving arrangements such as charitable trusts or beneficiary designations

If you would like to discuss these or other giving options, please contact us at lsa@lsadc.org.

Important Notice

This information is provided for general educational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, or financial advice. Donors should consult their tax advisor, attorney, or financial planner regarding the specific implications of any charitable gift.
 

Thank you for supporting LSA!