Ways to Make a Gift

Making a gift to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is an investment in higher education. Your gift is a reflection of your own philanthropic goals and a statement about your personal values and interests. The way you make your gift also can reflect your own needs and preferences. There are many different gift-giving options, and a number of them offer significant tax and income benefits for you as the donor. We recommend that you consult with your financial adviser about which method may be best for you. Following is a list of giving options for your consideration:

Outright Gifts

Cash

The most popular type of charitable gift due to its convenience, an outright gift of cash is considered made on the date it is mailed or hand-delivered to the ASU Foundation. If you itemize deductions, cash gifts to the university are considered tax-deductible, up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. Any unused amount may be carried over for up to five years. Cash-gift pledges may be paid over a period of up to five years.

Appreciated Property

Gifts of stock, bonds and/or real estate have potential double tax benefits for you as the donor. The full value of your assets usually is deductible with no capital gains tax paid on the appreciation.

Tangible Personal Property

Gifts of artwork, rare books, stamp or coin collections and other tangible personal property generally entitle you to a charitable deduction. The amount of the deduction depends on whether the property is used by the university in a way that is related to its mission and whether you created the property yourself, as in the case of literary, artistic or musical compositions.

 

Planned Gifts

Bequests

Making a bequest through your will or a living trust is another option for charitable giving to ASU. Charitable bequests provide estate tax benefits and enable you to make significant contributions that may not be possible during your lifetime.

Charitable Gift Annuity

By establishing a charitable gift annuity, you can make a gift of cash or securities to ASU in exchange for a guaranteed fixed income for life. In addition to an assured income for the remainder of your life, you receive an immediate tax deduction, tax-advantaged income, and an excellent rate of return.

Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity

With a deferred gift annuity, income payments do not begin immediately but rather at some specified future date. Deferring the payments allows you to receive a higher rate of return and increased tax deductions.

Charitable Remainder Unitrust

A charitable remainder unitrust permits you to irrevocably transfer property to a trust in return for an income based on the annual fair-market value of the trust’s assets. You receive estate tax benefits as well as an immediate income tax charitable deduction. Upon the death of the last surviving beneficiary, or at a specified time, the trust’s assets are transferred to ASU.

Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust

An annuity trust is similar to the unitrust described above except it pays a fixed amount each year rather than a percentage of the trust’s assets.

Charitable Lead Trust

Through a charitable lead trust, you can transfer property to a trust that  will pay income each year to ASU for a specified period of time. The principal of the trust then reverts to you or your beneficiary. This arrangement permits you to take the maximum charitable tax deduction without making an outright gift of income-producing assets.

Remainder Interest in a Personal Residence or Farm

Under this giving option, you may donate to ASU a home or farm that you own while continuing to use the property and receive a charitable income tax deduction. You also can escape any potential capital-gain tax on the built-in appreciation of the property.

Giving Anonymously

Occasionally a donor wishes to make a gift anonymously or wishes not to receive public recognition for a gift. There are several levels of anonymity you may request. If you desire complete anonymity, you may make a gift through a third party so that the university has no record of who the donor is. If you simply want to avoid public notice of your gift, we will honor that wish by not printing your name in any published donor listings or news releases. Please advise us of your preferences or concerns; we will make every effort to honor your wishes.

Matching Gifts

Corporate matching-gift programs increase the impact of your contribution and are an important source of support for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. We appreciate the extra effort our donors take to secure these gifts. Please contact your employer (or your spouse’s employer if you are making a joint gift) to determine its matching-gift policies and procedures. You can find out if your employer participates in a matching-gift program through the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s matching gift clearinghouse.