Charitable Estate Gifts

Charitable estate or deferred giving enables you to arrange charitable contributions in a manner that maximizes personal objectives and financial goals. Many plans provide flexibility during your lifetime, even though Iowa State will not realize their benefit until some time in the future. The most common types of deferred plans are bequests, retirement plan designations, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable gift annuities. For more information, please see the Office of Gift Planning site.

Bequests

A bequest in your will and naming Iowa State in your living trust are the easiest and most popular deferred gift plans used by alumni and friends. Donors may name the Iowa State University Foundation as a percentage beneficiary, for a specific dollar amount or specific assets, or as a residual or contingent recipient. Your assets can be used to support Iowa State for the purposes you have documented.

Retirement Plan Assets

Retirement accounts often are exposed to income tax and estate taxes, which may be avoided or reduced through a deferred gift. Naming the Iowa State University Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement account can provide a meaningful gift to Iowa State and produce significant tax savings for you and your heirs.

Charitable Remainder Trust

A charitable trust to benefit Iowa State is established when you transfer assets (cash, securities or real estate) to a trust where the assets are invested to pay an annual, lifetime or term-of-years income to you or other beneficiaries. When the trust matures, the remaining trust assets are distributed by the trustee according to your wishes. There are wide varieties of charitable trusts available to meet your individual needs.

Charitable Gift Annuity

A gift annuity is a simple, contractual agreement between one or two donors and the Iowa State University Foundation in which assets are transferred in exchange for a lifetime annuity. Donors receive an immediate charitable income tax deduction, and the rates are based on the age of the donor(s) at establishment.