We have sample bequest language for many types of gift opportunities. The following is for an unrestricted gift in your will or trust:

“I give ______* to the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY FOUNDATION, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, to provide endowed support to be used at the discretion of the chancellor on the Berkeley campus of the University of California.” * For example, “$_____” or “_____ percentage of the residue of my estate.”

Please contact us for sample language to support scholarships, fellowships, faculty research, or other areas on campus that are important to you.

Planned gifts benefitting Berkeley can be made to the University of California, Berkeley Foundation which is the legal entity solely responsible for raising and administering funds benefiting the campus. Please call us to discuss which option is best for you.

University of California, Berkeley Foundation: 94-6090626

There are two types of life income gifts that you can create with the UC Berkeley Foundation: charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts. Both gift types can provide income for you or for you and a loved one. The minimum gift amount for a charitable gift annuity is $20,000. For a charitable remainder trust, the minimum gift amount is $100,000 if the gift is made in cash or with securities, or $250,000 net if made with real estate.

Your charitable gift annuity will be treated as a general obligation of the UC Berkeley Foundation, backed by all of our assets. We have a spotless record of making timely payments to our annuitants, and that ongoing responsibility is a key element to our financial policies.

Your charitable remainder unitrust is an excellent way to donate the property, avoid capital gains tax, and receive an income tax deduction and lifetime income. We are happy to help you look at your options with no obligation.

Qualified retirement plans such as IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and Keoghs allow individuals to defer paying taxes on a portion of their income until the assets are withdrawn during retirement years. If these assets are inherited by family members or friends/ they will have to pay income tax on them at their individual tax rate. On the other hand, if you designate UCBF to receive them and designate other assets for your family and friends, we will not have to pay tax on them. And you can make larger gifts to family and friends.

The IRS requires that donors of artwork and collectibles secure an independent appraisal of the items in order to establish fair market value. The appraisal has to be related to the gift — an insurance appraisal won't suffice. We can assist you on this point.

Your tax benefits will depend on several factors: the type of gift, the time at which it is made, whether it is outright or deferred, or whether it has any income payments. In general, though, these are some guidelines:

• Outright gifts of cash to the UC Berkeley Foundation generate a full income tax charitable deduction. Outright gifts of privately held securities are deductible at fair market value, with no recognition of capital gains — a great tax benefit!
• Gifts of tangible personal property such as art, books, and collectibles are fully deductible at fair market value provided they are relevant to our mission. We can provide more information to you on this point.
• Bequests do not generate a lifetime income tax deduction but can generate an estate tax deduction.
• The charitable deduction for a gift that returns income to you, such as a charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust, is the fair market value of the gift asset minus the present value of the income interest that will come to you or a loved one.