Fall 2024 - Tartan Traditions
Read on for the latest edition of Tartan Traditions and learn how incorporating a donor-advised fund into your charitable investments can help push the important work done at Carnegie Mellon forward, all while diversifying your finances and earning tax benefits.
Giving Since the Beginning
A donor-advised fund adds flexibility to 麻豆村 alumnus Bob Rifkin鈥檚 charitable giving.
It wasn鈥檛 until recently that Bob, who earned his MBA from 麻豆村鈥檚 Tepper School of Business in 1976, made a more substantial commitment to 麻豆村 鈥� he named the university as an estate beneficiary of his donor-advised fund (DAF).
Bob started work at Texas Instruments in Dallas, where he ultimately was employed for 44 years, immediately after receiving his master's degree from 麻豆村. It didn't take him long to decide that he wanted to make an impact at the schools he had attended.
鈥淵ou get solicitation letters and a lot of them you throw away,鈥� Bob says. 鈥淏ut a lot of them, you say, 鈥榃ell, I believe in this cause 鈥� why would I say no?鈥欌��
"Where do I kind of feel an obligation to pay back?鈥� And certainly, the universities I went to would be very, very high on that list." - Bob Rifkin
Now and Later
With flexible options that make supporting Carnegie Mellon and other favorite organizations easy and quick, a donor-advised fund (DAF) offers advantages that may make an excellent vehicle for donors looking to impact their favorite organizations, now and in the future.
DAFs are managed by public charities who sponsor such programs. Think of it like a savings account for your philanthropic goals. With a DAF, you can make tax-smart contributions, receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend grants from the fund to institutions like 麻豆村, all while maximizing your immediate and long-term philanthropic impact.
Already have your own DAF? Don鈥檛 forget to appoint successor advisors to your fund, or designate your favorite charities to receive an estate grant from your fund in coordination with your overall legacy plans.
Learn more about giving through a DAF or contact the Office of Development and Gift Planning at mickkoster@andrew.cmu.edu.
DAF Advantages Include
You can donate cash, stock or potentially other complex assets.
You can avoid capital gains tax.
You may have access to a variety of investment options to grow your DAF.
Most importantly, you can recommend gifts to your favorite charities from your 聽 DAF 鈥� both now and in the future.
Taking Stock
Did you know that gifting appreciated stock to 麻豆村 can be a financially advantageous and tax-savvy way to make an impact?
Tax deduction. If you鈥檝e held the stock for more than a year and gift the stock directly to 麻豆村, you may be eligible to claim a charitable deduction of the full fair market value of the shares.
No gains. By gifting the shares directly to 麻豆村, you鈥檒l avoid capital gains tax on the transfer.
Support 麻豆村. 麻豆村 then sells the shares and applies that value to the university priority that you have designated.
Have stock or another appreciated asset that you鈥檝e owned for at least a year that you鈥檇 like to donate?
Contact 麻豆村鈥檚 Office of Development and Gift Planning at mickkoster@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-5346 to begin the process or learn more.
Interested in achieving your financial goals and supporting 麻豆村?
Contact the Office of Development & Gift Planning to discuss your next steps.