Ways to Give | Forever SIU | SIU

Your gift to Forever SIU—The Campaign for Students can take many forms. You can direct your support to a particular college, program or purpose, or make an unrestricted gift. You can opt for the long-term benefit of establishing an endowment or the immediate impact of a gift for current use. You can also choose among various options for structuring your gift to best suit your financial circumstances—and often to secure a tax advantage.

Whatever form your gift takes, two points are key. First, the SIU campaign team is here to answer questions and help shape the best plan for you. Second, however you choose to support this campaign, your investment will have a deeply appreciated impact on Southern Illinois University and the students we serve.

You can turn personal assets in nearly any form into a philanthropic investment in SIU.

• Gifts of cash made by check, credit card, or EFT (electronic funds transfer), are simple and tax-deductible.
• Gifts of stocks and bonds can yield a significant tax benefit, especially if the securities have gained in value over the years, in which case you can deduct the fair market value without realizing capital gains. 
• Gifts of real estate, such as a home, vacation property, undeveloped land, farmland, ranch or commercial property, can also yield a significant tax benefit, especially if the property is highly appreciated. 
• Gifts of retirement assets, including all or part of an unused IRA, 401(k), 403(b), pension or other tax-deferred plan, can benefit SIU while bypassing potential estate taxes. 
• Gifts of insurance, such as a life insurance policy that has outlasted its original purpose, yield a charitable income tax deduction and provide the value of the policy to the SIU Foundation, either cashed-in now or retained to maturity.

As you consider your gift to the Forever SIU campaign, you should be aware of the varied options available beyond simple outright gifts.  Each has its own advantages.

• IRA Rollovers If you are 70½ or older, have an IRA, and are facing the requirement to begin taking minimum distributions from it, this gift option offers you the chance to support SIU while realizing a significant tax benefit. By transferring funds from your IRA directly to the SIU Foundation, you can satisfy your IRA’s required minimum distribution for the year without counting that distribution as income. This type of gift allows you not only to reduce your taxable income, but also to make a gift that is not subject to the 50 percent deduction limits on charitable gifts.
• Charitable Gift Annuities Through a charitable gift annuity, you transfer cash or appreciated property to the SIU Foundation in exchange for our agreement to make fixed payments to you for the rest of your life (with rates based on your age). The annuity provides you and/or a spouse with a guaranteed income stream, freeing you from worries about fluctuating stock and real estate markets. When you transfer assets to the foundation, you also receive an income tax deduction for the portion of the assets you transfer that represents a charitable gift. If you decide to fund your gift annuity with cash, a significant portion of the annuity payment you receive 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.
• Charitable Remainder Unitrust and Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust Through these forms of  giving, you transfer property to the SIU Foundation  to create a trust that provides you with income during your lifetime, with the remainder of the trust going to the SIU Foundation upon your death.  The foundation funds the trust through the taxfree sale of your property (or with proceeds from your own recently completed sale of property)—potentially providing a significant tax savings if your assets would be subject to capital gains. The foundation, as trustee, then pays you an income from the trust.  In the case of a charitable remainder annuity trust, the payout is a predetermined fixed amount. In the case of a charitable remainder unitrust, it is a fixed percentage of the remaining value of the trust.
• Sale and Unitrust This form of gift allows you to establish a charitable remainder trust by transferring property to the SIU Foundation. When the foundation then sells the property, you receive a cash payment, and the balance of funds from the sale go to establish a unitrust. This trust will pay you an income for life, with the remainder of its value passing to the foundation upon your death.  Sale and unitrust is an excellent option if you have appreciated assets, such as stocks, bonds or real estate, that are producing little or no income. Sale through a unitrust allows you to realize their value while avoiding capital gains tax. You can use the cash payment you receive to purchase a residence, save for retirement or travel, or meet  your regular expenses.
• Charitable Lead Trust If you are looking for a way to pass on assets to your family while reducing or eliminating gift or estate taxes, a charitable lead trust is an excellent option. The trust is a fund you establish that pays an income to the SIU Foundation for a specified number of years. Then, at the end of that period of time, the remainder of the trust goes to your family at a substantial tax savings.
• Bargain Sale Through a bargain sale, you make a gift to the SIU Foundation by selling the foundation property at a price less than its fair market value. You receive a cash payment for the sale and a charitable deduction for the difference between the market value and purchase price. You also avoid capital gains on the sale of your assets. Note that it is possible to transfer property through a bargain sale even if you have a mortgage on the property. Because relief from indebtedness can have tax implications, it is important to consult with your tax advisor prior to completing a gift of a bargain sale.
• Bequests A charitable bequest is one of the easiest ways you can leave a lasting impact on SIU. To arrange a bequest, work with an advisor to include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to the Southern Illinois University Foundation.  Contact us for suggested language. Bequests of retirement assets, such as IRA accounts, offer particular tax advantages. If the IRA were given to your family, much of the value could be lost through estate and income taxes. By designating the SIU Foundation as the beneficiary of all or part of your IRA, the full value of the gift is transferred tax-free at your death, and your estate receives an estate tax charitable deduction.
• Beneficiary Designation Gifts With this form of gift, you simply designate the SIU foundation as the beneficiary of a retirement, investment or bank account or of your life insurance policy. Doing so allows you to support a cause you care about while continuing to draw upon your account as long as you need to. Supporting SIU through a beneficiary designation gift simplifies your planning, avoids legal fees and will provide your estate with a charitable tax deduction. Beneficiary designation gifts are highly flexible. Even after you complete a designation form making the foundation your beneficiary, you can take distributions or withdrawals from your retirement, investment or bank account. You can also change your mind about the designation at any time in the future.

The SIU campaign staff is here to help you plan your commitment to Forever SIU with information on specific programs and projects to fund and all the  details you need on various forms of giving. We are happy to answer any questions you have.

SIU Foundation
Colyer Hall
1235 Douglas Drive
Mail Code 6805
Carbondale, Illinois 62901-4308

618-453-4900 | F: 618-453-2262
siuf@foundation.siu.edu

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