Planned Giving » Leave Your Legacy

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Bequests

Case Western Reserve University has received much of its financial support through bequests over the years. Bequests are gifts made upon a donor's death, most often through a will.

Your bequest can be given as a specific sum of money; a percentage of your estate; a gift of particular assets, such as shares of stock in a corporation; or a gift of the remainder of your estate after distribution to loved ones. They can also be carried out through other vehicles that become effective at the time of your death: a trust, a life insurance policy, an IRA, or a deferred compensation or 401(k) plan. You can direct the university to use your gift to support the rowing team.

It is easy to include the university in your estate plan by adding a simple codicil to an existing will or by including language in a will you are currently having drafted. Or, in some cases, you can fill out a simple beneficiary designation form.

If you have included Case Crew in your estate plans, we hope you will inform us. We want to be able to recognize you for your generous intent and also make sure the gift will be appropriately stewarded.

To start a conversation about leaving your legacy through a bequest to CWRU Crew, please contact the university's Office of Planned Giving at 1-877-477-1143.

Gift of Life Insurance

Life insurance is more than a source of protection for your family's financial future, it is a flexible, versatile asset that can be used to leave your legacy at Case Western Reserve University for the rowing team.

How it Works: You can name Case Western Reserve as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or name the university as the policy owner through an irrevocable gift. Both of these scenarios offer specific tax advantages. Future premium payments are deductible only if you transfer ownership of the policy to the university. CWRU can then be directed to use those funds to support the rowing team.

Special provisions can be made to protect your spouse or children, and a variety of assets can be used to create an income stream that can cover the cost of premiums.

Unique Benefits: A charitable contribution of a life insurance policy offers a number of practical advantages:

• You can stretch the long-term value of your commitment. For the annual cost of a whole-life policy premium, you can provide the university with a substantial future benefit—perhaps far more than you could normally afford to give.

• The amount of your commitment is fixed, rather than subject to market fluctuations.

• Insurance proceeds are not subject to the delays and costs of the probate process.

• You can make a substantial commitment without impairing other assets intended for family members.

To start a conversation about leaving your legacy through a gift of life insurance to CWRU Crew, please contact the university's Office of Planned Giving at 1-877-477-1143.

Retirement Plan

How it Works: Retirement plans—such as deferred-compensation, profit-sharing, IRA, 401(k), 457 and 403(b) plans—permit you to designate one or more beneficiaries to receive all or a portion of the assets in the plan at the time of your death.

Designating Case Western Reserve University as a beneficiary for all or part of your retirement plan assets is simple and can save your loved ones the tax burden from these assets. CWRU can then be directed to use those funds to support the rowing team. Your retirement plan sponsor or the asset manager of your plan can provide you with a beneficiary designation form on which you can choose CWRU as a beneficiary for all or part of the assets in a plan.

Unique Benefits: A charitable contribution of a retirement plan offers a number of practical advantages:

• Your assets will not be subject to estate tax or income tax upon receipt by the university as they would if they went to your heirs.

• By leaving your retirement plan assets to the university, you can leave your less-taxed assets to your loved ones.

• These gifts are simple to carry out and do not require a change to your will or trust.

To start a conversation about leaving your legacy through a retirement plan to CWRU Crew, please contact the university's Office of Planned Giving at 1-877-477-1143.