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Planned Giving FAQs
- What are the tax advantages of making a bequest or life income gift?
- How do I make a bequest intention?
- What is a life income gift?
- Can I direct how my gift will be used? How can I be sure it will be used as I intend?
- Which type of planned gift is right for me?
What are the tax advantages of making a bequest or life income gift?
Gifts to the GSB, as to other charitable organizations, are not subject to gift or estate taxes. For example, a $10,000 bequest to a charity results in the charity receiving the full $10,000, free of tax. Since the estate tax rate was at 46 percent for the top bracket in 2006, that same gift made to an individual (other than a spouse) may result in $4,600 going to the IRS and only $5,400 to the individual.
How do I make a bequest intention?
Making a gift to the GSB from your estate can be accomplished by a simple amendment to a will or a revocable trust in consultation with an attorney and the Office of Planned Giving at Stanford University.
Bequests can include cash, securities, real estate, other property, a percentage of the residual of your estate, or all the residual of your estate.
What is a life income gift?
A life income gift allows you to transfer assets—including cash, securities, or real estate—and receive income for a period of time with the remainder going to the GSB. Examples include a charitable gift annuity, pooled income fund, and charitable remainder trust (CRT). A CRT is the most common type of life income gift among Stanford alumni and friends.
There are a variety of CRTs available to meet specific donor needs. Often created with highly appreciated assets, if 50 percent or more of the remainder goes to Stanford, the University will administer trusts at no charge.
Can I direct how my gift will be used? How can I be sure it will be used as I intend?
As with any other kind of gift to the GSB, you may designate a purpose for your bequest or life income gift. We carefully monitor the stated purposes of all gift funds to ensure that the donor's funds are being used only for the intended purposes.
Which type of planned gift is right for me?
Please visit Stanford's Planned Giving site to learn more about different kinds of Planned Gifts and how each might suit your estate planning goals.
To make a planned gift or to learn more, please contact Ellen Otto, Director, Annual and Reunion Giving, at 650.725.4283 or otto_ellen@gsb.stanford.edu.
