Planned Giving

How It Works

1. You include a bequest provision in your will or revocable trust.
2. At your death Mercy University receives the bequest you specified.

Benefits

• You may change your bequest or trust designation at any time.
• You control the funding property during your lifetime.
• Your bequest or trust designation will not be subject to any potential federal estate tax.
• You provide future support for Mercy University.

Beneficiary designations are one of the simplest and most flexible ways to make a gift. As you think about ways to arrange your charitable legacies, keep in mind the following reasons why this gift type is so popular and might be a smart way for you to give:

• You can make the gift without having to revise your will or living trust.
• It is easy to modify the beneficiary forms to adapt to changing intentions and circumstances.
• Arranging such a gift is simple and generally entails little or no expense.
• When a charity is a beneficiary of retirement funds, those funds will not be subject to income tax.
• You may save estate taxes, depending on the size of your estate.
• The gift becomes available to the charity with little delay.

How to Make a Gift by Beneficiary Designation

It's simple! You ask your policy administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form, or you can often find this form on your provider's website, and then name Mercy University as a beneficiary of any of the financial instruments below.

Types of Beneficiary Designations

• IRA and Qualified Retirement-Plan Distributions
• Donor-Advised Fund
• Insurance Products
• Bank Accounts
• Brokerage Accounts

Next Steps

1. Request a change-of-beneficiary form from the administrator of your retirement plan, insurance policy, or bank account or download a form from your provider's website.
2. Designate what percentage you would like Mercy University to receive and name us and indicate the percentage you chose on the beneficiary form.
3. Return the completed form to your provider.

Contact us to let us know your goals for the gift so we can thank you for your generosity and ensure your gift is used as you intend.

Do you want to support Mercy University but worry about having enough income for yourself and your loved ones? Life-income gifts can provide donors with an income stream, significant tax savings, and the satisfaction of providing Mercy University with vital long-term resources. The creation of a life-income gift benefits both the giver and the receiver—a "win-win" situation. The following life-income gifts are available, and one may be right for you:

This type of gift arrangement allows you to direct gifts to Mercy University for a specified period of time and, in turn, receive either a charitable deduction now for gifts made in subsequent years or a reduction in gift or estate taxes on property you wish to pass to heirs.

Under the nongrantor plan, you irrevocably transfer assets to a trustee and provide that payments be made to Mercy University for a certain number of years (or until the end of your or another's life). Then the principal is distributed to your children, grandchildren, or other heirs. The principal passes to your heirs at greatly reduced gift- and estate-tax rates and sometimes escapes them altogether. The charitable lead trust may appeal to individuals who wish to make a gift but retain the property in their family.

Charitable lead trusts (CLTs) are simple in concept but are complex gift- and estate-planning devices because of the many technical drafting requirements of the IRS. We recommend you consult an attorney who specializes in trusts and estates and has experience with CLTs.

Your retirement-plan benefits are very likely a significant portion of your net worth. And because of special tax considerations, they could make an excellent choice for funding a charitable gift.
Retirement-plan benefits include assets held in individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, Keogh plans, and 403(b) plans.

How It Works

1. You make a pledge of support to Mercy University.
2. You execute an estate note to pay off pledge from estate assets in case pledge remains unpaid at death.

Benefit

You are assured that the programs you wish to support at Mercy University will receive all the funds you intend.

How It Works

1. You transfer cash to Mercy University—via a check through the mail or online by debit or credit card.
2. Mercy University can put your gift to immediate use or add it to an endowed fund if you so specify.
3. You receive a charitable deduction.

Benefits

• Your gift is made simply and quickly.
• You receive a federal income-tax deduction.

You provide immediate support for Mercy University.

How It Works

1. You can send unendorsed stock certificates by registered mail or instruct your broker to make the transfer from your account to our account.
2. You receive an income-tax deduction.
3. Mercy University may keep or sell the securities.

Benefits

• You receive a federal income-tax deduction for the full fair-market value of the securities.
• You avoid long-term capital-gain tax on any appreciation in the value of the stock.
• Your gift will support Mercy University as you designate.

Special note: Please call or e-mail us to tell us of your intent, and we will be able to assist you with the details of the transfer.

Life Insurance Policy

An important but frequently overlooked role of life insurance is the one it can play in charitable gift planning. Life insurance itself can be the direct funding medium for a gift, permitting the donor to make a substantial gift (face value of policy) for a relatively modest annual outlay (i.e., the premium payment).

How It Works

1. Please call us to discuss the type of tangible property, possible uses of your gift by Mercy University, and getting an appraisal.
2. You receive a charitable income-tax deduction for the full fair-market value of the property if the gift's use is related to Mercy University's exempt purposes.
3. If the use is unrelated to our exempt purposes or if it's understood that we will be selling the property, then the deduction is limited to your cost basis.

Benefits

• You receive a federal income-tax deduction for the fair-market value if the gift's use is related to Mercy University's charitable purposes.
• You avoid capital-gain tax on long-term related-use property.
• You provide significant support for Mercy University without affecting your income.

Special note: Please call or e-mail us to tell us of your intent with regards to the property, and we will be able to assist you with the details of the transfer.

Almost any type of real estate may be donated: undeveloped land, farms, commercial buildings, vacation homes, or your residence.