How to Give
Outright Gifts
When you make an outright gift to USC, your contribution can be put to work immediately - either providing funding for current programs or creating a reliable source of future income by expanding the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy endowment or creating a designated endowment. An outright gift may be composed of almost any asset of value. Gifts of $50,000 and more qualify the donor for membership in the USC Associates the university’s premier academic support group, a philanthropic association dedicated to the advancement of knowledge. http://www.usc.edu/giving/associates
Cash gifts - the simplest and easiest gifts you can make - can be made through credit or debit card transfers https://giveto.usc.edu/ by selecting Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, outright cash, or personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders made payable to the University of Southern California division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. The University also has a wire account; please contact Jackie Mardirossian or Janis Wise regarding a wire transfer to USC OS and OT.
Gifts of appreciated securities, stocks, and bonds also provide considerable tax advantages when transferred to USC before they are sold. If you have held your securities for more than one year, you may find that your gift will provide a twofold tax benefit, creating an income-tax deduction as well as helping avoid the capital-gains tax that would have been due on their sale.
If you wish to transfer stocks from a broker’s account, USC has accounts with major brokerage firms facilitating an easy transaction.
If you wish to make a gift of physical securities on hand, physical stock certificates may be sent by certified mail or overnight express, with endorsement on the back of the certificate(s) exactly as stated on the face of the certificate(s). Do not fill in any other blanks. No stock power is necessary as long as you do not fill in the university’s name on the back.
You may also make a gift of mutual funds, non-marketable stock, or closely held stock. The Division of OS and OT can make arrangements with you and your broker to work with closely with the USC Treasurer’s Office. Contact USC OS and OT Development, Julie Bissell or Jackie Mardirossian for further details and information.
Gifts of real estate - including personal residences, second homes, income property, and vacant land - offer a wide variety of tax and other benefits. Whereas most people give their entire interest away, it is also possible to give only a portion of the property (an undivided percentage interest) while retaining the rest for other purposes.
Gifts of personal property - including rare books, works of art, valuable collectibles, and tangible items of demonstrable value - in some cases may enable you to make a significant gift to support USC with outstanding tax benefits to you. Likewise, gifts of intangible personal property, such as copyrights, patents, and mineral rights, can generate income for the program of your choice on a continuing basis.
Matching-Gift Programs
An easy way to double or even triple your donation to USC is to find out if your company has a matching-gift program. Such programs typically match all or a percentage of employee contributions to charitable organizations, making the employer a partner in employees’ personal philanthropy. Simply obtain a matching-gift form from your employer’s personnel office, fill it out, and provide it to USC with your contribution.
Gift Pledges
USC OS and OT welcomes your gift through a pledge - a formal statement of intention to make a gift to the university. With a pledge, you may complete your gift by making regular payments over time, allowing you to give more generously than you originally may have considered. What is more, each payment on your pledge is eligible for an income-tax charitable deduction
Planned Gifts
An easy way to leave a legacy, that is, defer a gift until after your lifetime, avoid taxation on retirement plan assets, avoid capital gains tax on the sale of a home, or give a gift of property but continue to live there.
Bequests
Leave your legacy by making a gift in your will or living trust. A bequest is one of the simplest ways to remember those people and programs you care about most.
Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust
You place assets into a trust (usually a minimum of $100,000) from which you receive a life income at a fixed amount. After your lifetime, and the lifetime of a surviving beneficiary, if desired, the trust remainder goes to USC.
Charitable Remainder Unitrust
This works like an annuity trust, except that the income you receive varies each year based on a set percentage of the value of the trust assets, redetermined each year.
Memorials and Endowments
Discover a powerful way to make a gift to us in your name or in the name of a loved one while realizing tax benefits for your kindness. Endowment principles grow each year and 5% is used annually after the first year to support the program of your choice.
Retained Life Estate
Your home can become a valued gift to us, even while you are still living in it, and even if you want your spouse or other survivor to live there for life. This arrangement is called a retained life estate. Make a gift to the University of Southern California OS and OT of a remainder interest in your home, receive sizable tax benefits now and continue living in your home for the rest of your life.
Charitable Lead Trusts
If your goal is to provide an inheritance for your children, but you would also like to make a significant charitable gift through your estate, find out how a charitable lead trust can help you satisfy both objectives. It’s a charitable lead trust that can provide a significant charitable gift through your estate and provide an inheritance to your children. Make a donation now while reducing the tax burden for your heirs in the future.
For more information, contact Julie Bissell, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and visit the USC Planned Giving website.
|
