For more detailed information on gift planning, visit berkeley.planyourlegacy.org.

Did you know you can support Berkeley Engineering while benefiting yourself and your family? With a planned gift, you can combine smart financial planning with your philanthropic goals.

A planned gift can help you in a number of ways:

• Increase your current income or provide income for a loved one
• Reduce your income tax immediately
• Reduce or eliminate capital gains taxes on on transfer of appreciated assets
• Pass assets to family members or others at a reduced tax cost
• Make a larger gift to Berkeley Engineering than you thought possible

Bequests • make a gift by will

In your will or living trust, you can direct assets to the UC Berkeley College of Engineering. A charitable bequest not only extends your lifetime commitment to the College, but also qualifies your estate for a deduction that reduces tax liability. You can arrange to give a specific amount, property, or a percentage of your estate. Residual and contingent bequests provide first for your family, and then, if circumstances permit, for the College.
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Charitable Remainder Trusts • protect your family

With a charitable remainder trust, you transfer money or property to the UC Berkeley Foundation stating that the assets be earmarked for the College of Engineering. The Foundation manages and invests these assets and makes payments to you or other beneficiaries for their lives or the time period specified in the trust agreement. When the trust terminates, the assets in the trust pass on to the College to be used as you specified. Charitable remainder trusts offer various federal income and estate tax deductions. In addition, if appreciated assets are used to fund a charitable remainder trust, you avoid capital gains tax.
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Charitable Gift Annuities • receive income for life

A charitable gift annuity is a contract between you and the UC Berkeley Foundation. In exchange for a gift of cash, stock or property, the donor (or someone else named by the donor) receives an annuity that pays a fixed amount of money for life. Charitable gift annuities offer the option of receiving annuity payments immediately or deferring them until a later date.
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Real Estate • give property to the College

A gift of real estate can be an effective way to make a significant gift to the College. You may be entitled to an income tax deduction for the property's full appraised fair market value. Almost any marketable real estate is suitable, including personal residences, farms, commercial buildings, forest land, and investment property. Unencumbered property is best and generates the greatest tax benefit.
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Retirement Assets • ease the tax burden

When you plan your estate, it may seem natural to designate a family member as the successor beneficiary of your retirement plan, and use other assets to make a charitable gift. But using retirement assets to make your donation and leaving other assets to your heirs often enables you to give more to your heirs.

Since we are a non-profit organization, we won't pay income tax on the distribution (nor will the gift be subject to estate tax). The entire amount comes to us, and your heirs will benefit from a reduced estate tax burden.
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