You may designate St. Thomas University as a beneficiary of your will, trust or beneficiary designation form.

A charitable bequest is one of the easiest and most flexible ways that allows you to retain control over your assets during your lifetime but allows you to leave a gift to St. Thomas University that will make a lasting impact.

Benefits of a bequest

• Retain control over your assets during your lifetime but make an impactful gift to St. Thomas University
• Reduce the burden of taxes on your heirs
• Leave a lasting legacy to at St. Thomas University

How a bequest works
A bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an attorney, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to be made to St. Thomas University as part of your estate plan, or you can make a bequest using a beneficiary designation form.

Here are some of the ways to leave a bequest to St. Thomas University

• Include a bequest to St. Thomas University in your will or revocable trust
• Designate St. Thomas University as a full, partial or contingent beneficiary of your retirement account (IRA, 401(k), 403(b) or pension)
• Name St. Thomas University as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy

A bequest may be made in several ways

• Percentage bequest – make a gift of a percentage of your estate
• Specific bequest – make a gift of a specific dollar amount or a specific asset
• Residual bequest – make a gift from the balance or residue of your estate

The following language may help you and your attorney when drawing up a bequest that meets your needs.
“I give and devise to St. Thomas University (Tax ID #59-0949880), the sum of $___________ (or asset) for its unrestricted use and purpose (or for the support of a specific fund or program).”

Bequests of real estate, personal property, business interests and cash are typically made by way of a will, revocable trust or even a simple codicil to your current estate plan. Your estate-planning attorney can assist you in preparing the necessary papers for you to complete the bequest.

Other bequests, such as those involving retirement assets, insurance policies, bank accounts and stocks and bonds, are typically made by completing the appropriate beneficiary designation form. Simply contact your retirement plan administrator, life insurance company, bank or investment broker and ask them to send you the appropriate “beneficiary designation” or “payable on death” form. To complete your bequest, you will need to complete and sign the form and then send it back to the person who originally sent the form to you.

The last step in leaving any bequest involves the transfer to charity. When you pass away, the bequest property will be transferred to St. Thomas University. The full value of this gift will be transferred tax-free and your estate will receive an estate tax charitable deduction.

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

Please let us know if we can help

You can designate STU as a beneficiary of a retirement, investment or bank account or of your life insurance policy. A beneficiary designation gift is a simple and affordable way to make a gift to support St. Thomas University. You can designate us as a beneficiary of a retirement, investment or bank account or of your life insurance policy.

Benefits of a beneficiary designation gift

• Continue to use your account as long as you need to
• Simplify your planning and avoid expensive legal fees
• Reduce the burden of taxes on your heirs
• Receive an estate tax charitable deduction
• Support the causes that you care about at St. Thomas University

How a beneficiary designation gift works

1. To make your gift, contact your account administrator or the person who helps you with your account or insurance policy, such as your broker, banker or insurance agent.
2. Ask them to send you a new beneficiary designation form.
3. Complete the form, sign it and send it back to your broker, banker or agent.
4. When you pass away, your account or insurance policy will be paid or transferred to St. Thomas University, consistent with the beneficiary designation.

Important considerations for your future
If you are interested in making a gift but are also concerned about your future needs, keep in mind that beneficiary designation gifts are among the most flexible of all charitable gifts. Even after you complete the beneficiary designation form, you can take distributions or withdrawals from your retirement, investment or bank account and continue to freely use your account. You can also change your beneficiary designation(s) at any time in the future for any reason, including if you have a loved one who needs your financial help.

Flexibility — Most beneficiary designation forms are very flexible. You can name St. Thomas University as a “full” or “partial” beneficiary of your account or life insurance policy. You can also name St. Thomas University as a “primary” or “contingent” beneficiary

Family Considerations — Beneficiary designation gifts allow you to provide for family and support the causes that matter most to you. With a designation form you could, for example, name your spouse as the “primary” beneficiary and each of your children and St. Thomas University as “partial contingent” beneficiaries. With this arrangement, if your spouse survives you, he or she would receive the account. If not, the account or policy would be paid out to your children and St. Thomas University in whatever shares (or percentages) that you chose on the designation form.

Terminology — Beneficiary designation gifts are simple and straightforward. Common terminology includes “beneficiary designation” but also includes “payable on death” or “transfer on death.” The term “beneficiary designation” is most commonly used when naming beneficiaries of retirement plans or life insurance policies. The term payable on death (or “POD”) typically involves the designation of a beneficiary of a checking account, savings account or certificates of deposit, and transfer on death (or “TOD”) often involves the designation of a beneficiary of stocks, bonds or mutual funds.

Beneficiary Designations and Real Estate — Some states even allow “beneficiary designation deeds” or “transfer on death deeds,” which would allow you to name St. Thomas University as the survivor beneficiary of your home, farm or other real estate. As with other beneficiary designation gifts, these gifts are revocable by filing a revocation or new beneficiary designation deed.

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

Please let us know if we can help

Donating part or all of your unused retirement assets, such as your individual retirement account (IRA), 401(k), 403(b), pension or life insurance plan, is an excellent way to make a gift to St. Thomas University. It is important to remember that estate and income taxes can consume a large portion of the money remaining in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs and other qualified retirement plans.

Naming St. Thomas University as the beneficiary of a 401(k), other qualified retirement plan or IRA may result in significant tax savings for your heirs. You can designate St. Thomas University as the sole beneficiary, or one of multiple beneficiaries, of the remaining assets.

Retirement Plans
If you are like most people, you probably will not use all of your retirement assets during your lifetime. A retirement plan can be a tax-efficient and simple way of including St. Thomas University in your estate plan. The best method is to name a charity as a beneficiary on your plan’s beneficiary designation form. Because charities do not pay income taxes on the donations they receive, distributions to charities will avoid being taxed as income. Your plan administrator can provide you with the appropriate forms.

Giving from your IRA
IRA Charitable Rollover benefit is now permanent. If you are above age 70½, you can make a contribution (up to $100,000 annually) transferred directly from your IRA account to a charity of your choice, like St. Thomas University. Your gift would count toward your required minimum distribution and it would not be considered taxable income for you. You can call your IRA administrator to discuss a fund transfer. Please contact us if you would like a free sample distribution request letter.

Life Insurance
If you have a life insurance policy that you no longer need because of a change in your life circumstances, you can give a paid-up policy to St. Thomas University or other charity, or even a policy on which you are still paying premiums. There are two simple ways to set up a gift of life insurance.

• You can irrevocably designate St. Thomas University as the owner and beneficiary of your life insurance policy, and you may be entitled to a generous charitable income tax deduction.
• You can name St. Thomas University as an irrevocable beneficiary of your life insurance policy, but retain ownership of the policy itself. You can call or write to your insurance company to request a form to make this change of beneficiary.

Please see your legal and/or tax advisor for more information and to determine if a charitable gift of life insurance or a gift from a retirement plan is right for you.

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

Please let us know if we can help

Fund a DAF and make charitable gift recommendations during your lifetime. Afterwards, your children can carry on your legacy of giving.

Are you looking for a way to benefit St. Thomas University both now and in the future? Would you like to simplify your annual and lifetime charitable giving? What if you could support STU, and make gifts to other charities you care about, all from one convenient centralized account? You can accomplish all this, and even more, with a donor advised fund.

A donor advised fund is like a charitable investment account, for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations you care about. When you contribute cash, securities, or other assets to a donor-advised fund, you are generally eligible to take an immediate tax deduction. Those funds are then invested for tax-free growth and you can recommend grants on your timetable to any IRS-qualified public charity, including St. Thomas University.

If you already have a donor advised fund, you can always support St. Thomas University with grant recommendations from your account. You may also wish to consider incorporating your donor advised fund into your estate plan by making a bequest in your will or trust of your donor advised fund.

Benefits of a donor advised fund

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

• Establish a simple and flexible way to maximize the impact of your charitable giving
• Benefit immediately from a charitable income tax deduction in the year that your gift was made
• Receive an estate tax deduction and savings from your gift
• Develop a strategic giving approach on your own timetable that better supports your philanthropic vision
• Support St. Thomas University and/or other approved charities you care about from just one account
• Easily centralize record keeping and streamline tax documentation

How a donor advised fund works

1. You make an initial, irrevocable gift of cash or stock to fund a donor advised fund.
2. The assets in your donor advised fund grow tax-free through professionally managed investments.
3. You make grant recommendations to any qualified public charity from your donor advised fund. You may even specify a specific college, program or use.
4. You can support your legacy planning by incorporating your donor advised fund into your estate plan.

More on donor advised funds
A donor advised fund has several advantages when compared to a private foundation. The start-up time and costs are minimal for donor advised fund, and gifts to donor advised funds are generally deductible at fair market value. Donor advised funds are also not subject to the distribution requirements and certain excise taxes faced by private foundations.

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Transfer cash or appreciated assets to St. Thomas University in exchange for fixed payments for the rest of your life (rates based on your age).

Benefits of a charitable gift annuity

• Receive fixed payments to you or another annuitant you designate for life
• Receive a charitable income tax deduction for the charitable gift portion of the annuity
• Benefit from payments that may be partially tax-free
• Benefit from payments that are from a secure, reliable source
• Help further the important work of St. Thomas University with your gift

How a charitable gift annuity works
A charitable gift annuity is a way to make a gift to support St. Thomas University:

1. You transfer cash or property to St. Thomas University.
2. In exchange, we promise to pay fixed payments to you for life. The amount of the payment depends on your age and a portion of each payment may be tax-free.
3. You will receive a charitable income tax deduction for the gift portion of the annuity.
4. Upon your passing, the payments cease and St. Thomas University receives the remainder to further its mission.

If you decide to fund your gift annuity with cash, a significant portion of the annuity payment will be tax-free. You may also make a gift of appreciated securities to fund a gift annuity and avoid a portion of the capital gains tax. If you have any questions about charitable gift annuities, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you and answer your questions. We can also provide you with an illustration demonstrating your specific benefits from this vehicle.

Current charitable gift annuity (payments begin within one year). With a current gift annuity, you may transfer cash or property in exchange for our promise to pay you fixed payments beginning as early as this year. You will receive an income tax charitable deduction this year for the value of your gift to St. Thomas University.

Deferred charitable gift annuity (for payments at future date). Perhaps you are not ready to begin receiving payments until a future date, such as when you retire. With a deferred gift annuity, you establish the gift annuity today, receive a charitable income tax deduction this year, but defer the payments until a designated date sometime in the future. Best of all, because you deferred the payments, your annual payment will be higher when the payments start than they would have been with a current gift annuity.

Flexible deferred charitable gift annuity (gives you flexibility as to when the payments will start). With a flexible deferred gift annuity, you retain the flexibility to decide when the annuity will begin making payments. As with a deferred gift annuity, you establish the annuity today and receive a charitable deduction this year, but the payments are deferred until such time as you elect to begin receiving the payments.

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

Please let us know if we can help

Transfer cash or appreciated assets to fund a charitable remainder Unitrust. The trust sells your property tax free and provides you with income for life, revalued annually, or a term of years.

You may be concerned about the high cost of capital gains tax with the sale of an appreciated asset. Perhaps you recently sold property and are looking for a way to save on taxes this year and plan for retirement. A charitable remainder unitrust might offer the solutions you need.

Benefits of a charitable remainder unitrust

• Receive income for life, for a term of up to 20 years or life plus a term of up to 20 years
• Avoid capital gains on the sale of your appreciated assets
• Receive an immediate charitable income tax deduction for the charitable portion of the trust
• Establish a future legacy gift to St. Thomas University

How a charitable remainder unitrust works:

1. You transfer cash or assets to fund a charitable remainder unitrust.
2. In the case of a trust funded with appreciated assets, the trust will then sell the assets tax-free.
3. The trust is invested to pay income to you or any other trust beneficiaries you select based on a life, lives, a term of up to 20 years or a life plus a term of up to 20 years.
4. You receive an income tax deduction in the year you transfer assets to the trust.
5. Upon your passing, or upon expiration of a term of years, St. Thomas University benefits from what remains in the trust to further its mission.

Charitable remainder unitrust for income. A charitable remainder unitrust pays you income that reflects the value of the trust’s assets. Your income has the potential to increase over time as the trust grows in value.

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

How to select the right unitrust payout. There are several unitrust payout options to meet your needs. The best payout option may depend on the nature of the asset used to fund the trust. We would be happy to work with you and your tax advisor to determine which payout option is best for you.

Please let us know if we can help

Transfer cash or appreciated assets to fund a charitable remainder annuity trust. The trust sells your property tax free and provides you with fixed income for life or a term of years.

You may be looking for a way to receive fixed income for life or a number of years. You may be concerned about the high cost of capital gains tax with the sale of an appreciated asset. Perhaps you recently sold property and are looking for a way to save on taxes and plan for retirement. A charitable remainder annuity trust may offer the solutions you need.

Benefits of a charitable remainder annuity trust

• Receive fixed income for life or a term of up to 20 years
• Avoid capital gains tax on the sale of your appreciated assets
• Receive an immediate charitable income tax deduction for the charitable remainder portion of your gift to St. Thomas University
• Establish a future legacy gift at St. Thomas University

How a charitable remainder annuity trust works:

1. You transfer cash or assets to fund a charitable remainder annuity trust.
2. In the case of a trust funded with appreciated assets, the trust will then sell the assets tax-free.
3. The trust is invested to pay fixed income to you or any other trust beneficiaries you select based on a life, lives or a term of up to 20 years.
4. You receive an income tax deduction in the year you transfer assets to the trust.
5. Upon your passing, or upon expiration of a term of years, St. Thomas University benefits from what remains in the trust to further its mission.

More on charitable remainder annuity trusts
If you are tired of the fluctuating stock market and want to receive fixed payments, a charitable remainder annuity trust may provide you with the stability you desire. A charitable remainder annuity trust pays a fixed amount each year based on the value of the property at the time the trust is funded.

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

Please let us know if we can help

Fund a trust, the income from which will be given to St. Thomas University annually for a number of years. You or your family receives the trust remainder at substantial tax savings.

If you are looking to make a charitable gift and a way to pass on some of your assets to your family while reducing or eliminating gift or estate taxes, a charitable lead trust is an excellent option.

Benefits of a charitable lead trust

• Establish a trust, the income from which is used to make annual gifts to St. Thomas University
• Receive a gift or estate tax charitable deduction
• At the expiration of a term of years, pass the assets of the trust on to family at a reduced or zero cost

How a charitable lead trust works:

1. You make a contribution of your property to fund a trust that pays St. Thomas University income for a number of years.
2. You receive a gift or estate tax deduction at the time of your gift.
3. After a term of years, your family receives the trust assets plus any additional growth in value at reduced or zero cost

Zero Tax Plan – It is even possible to set up a lead trust that will allow you to transfer assets to your family with zero transfer taxes. The IRS assumes that a lead trust is only earning at the current low federal rate. If the actual investments of the trust produce a higher return than the payments made to St. Thomas University over the term of the trust, then the full value of the trust may be transferred to family with zero gift tax.

FLP/Lead Trust Plan – To discount your gift to family even more, you may consider first transferring your real estate or other assets into a Family Limited Partnership (FLP), which will fund your lead trust. The combination of the FLP, the lead trust and a gift exemption can permit the lead trust to pay income to us for a number of years and potentially transfer substantial assets tax-free to your family.

Increasing Payment Lead Trust – With increased volatility in the stock market, you may also want to consider creating a lead trust that makes fixed payments of increasing amounts to us over time. Because the payments to us are fixed, your family ultimately benefits from any growth in the trust. Low payouts in early years allow the trust to grow, thus allowing protection should the economy produce below-average returns in the future.

Grantor Lead Trust – A grantor lead trust permits you to transfer your cash or assets to a trust that will make gifts to charity for a number of years. At the end of the trust term, you receive the assets back from the trust.

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

Please let us know if we can help

The Give it Twice Trust is a popular option that allows you to transfer your IRA at death to a term of years unitrust. The unitrust will pay income to your family for a number of years and then distribute the balance to charity.

This is a great way to provide your children with income while making a gift to St. Thomas University. The Give it Twice Trust is a popular option that allows you to transfer your IRA at death to a term of years unitrust. The unitrust will pay income to your family for a number of years and then distribute the balance to charity.

Benefits of a Give it Twice Trust

• Full value of IRA invested to produce income
• Payments made to children for a term of years
• Estate tax deduction and savings for your gift
• Supports the work of St Thomas University

How this Plan Meets Your Goals

1. The Give it Twice Trust helps you meet your goals.
2. Save on income and estate taxes.
3. Treat your children equally.
4. Give children time to learn.

Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include St. Thomas University in your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to welcome you to the St. Thomas University 1946 Heritage Society and recognize you for your generosity.

Please let us know if we can help