Gift Planning

In a very real sense, every significant gift to Bucknell has been planned in some way. However, when the university uses the terms “planned gift” or “gift planning,” it usually refers to a category of gifts that help donors achieve important financial and estate planning goals at the same time that they make generous gifts to the university.

Perhaps you want to create a scholarship, but need access to your during your lifetime. You would like to support undergraduate research, but still need to receive an income stream. Your biggest concern may be passing to your heirs with the least amount of gift or estate tax, but you would also like to support important campus building projects. The Office of Gift Planning can provide options to meet these goals. We can also help you work through the issues involved in contributing assets like real estate, IRAs, or even personal property.

So important are these gifts, that the university created the Ellen Clarke Bertrand Society to recognize individuals who have established such plans.

Retain access to your assets while you are living.

Bequests - allow you to retain lifetime use of your , reduce estate tax and make a significant gift to Bucknell.

Gifts of IRAs and other qualified plans - are also terrific gifts to make at your death. A gift to Bucknell of all or a portion of your IRA or other qualified retirement plan can significantly minimize income and estate tax.

Make a gift that pays income back to you.

A Charitable Gift Annuity - provides guaranteed fixed income for one or two individuals for life. The annuity rate is based on the age of the beneficiaries when the annuity is funded.

A Charitable Remainder Trust - can be established to provide fixed income or the opportunity for income growth over time. It can operate for a term of years or the lifetime of the income beneficiaries, and unlike a gift annuity, can provide income to more than two income beneficiaries.

Transfer to your heirs at greatly reduced gift and estate tax rates.

Charitable Lead Trusts - provide annual payments to the charity of your choice. At the end of the trust term, the within the trust pass to your heirs with little or no additional tax due.

Make a gift of real estate

Real Estate - can be given outright to Bucknell; it can be used to fund a life income trust; or you can give the property to Bucknell now, but retain the right to live in your home for as long as you want.

"My scholarship gifts will help, over the years, many students. It’s a reward hearing from them and learning about their studies, their plans for life, and that they know they are at Bucknell only because they received the grant … the same as many of us benefited from grants while we were students. On the other hand, I must say it is nice to receive charitable tax deductions and regular generous income back from each of the life income gifts I have made for my student 'investments.'"

– Robert Woolhouse, Class of 1951