UC Berkeley Office of Gift Planning

A simple, flexible way to make a meaningful gift

Not every donor wants to commit to a gift through their will or estate plan. A beneficiary designation offers a faster, more flexible alternative. You can update your designation at any time as your circumstances change, and because retirement accounts and certain other assets pass directly to beneficiaries outside of probate, your gift can reach UC Berkeley quickly and without legal complications. For tax-deferred accounts like IRAs and 401(k)s, naming a charitable beneficiary can be especially powerful, since these assets often carry significant tax burdens when passed to heirs but transfer tax-free to a nonprofit like UC Berkeley.

Accounts you can use to make a beneficiary gift

Many of the financial accounts you already have can be used to support UC Berkeley through a beneficiary designation. Common options include:

• IRAs and retirement plans. Name UC Berkeley as a full or partial beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or other qualified retirement account.
• Life insurance policies. Designate UC Berkeley as a beneficiary of a paid-up policy or one you no longer need for its original purpose.
• Donor advised funds. Recommend UC Berkeley as a successor beneficiary of all or a portion of your fund.
• Commercial annuities. Name UC Berkeley as a beneficiary of any remaining value in a commercial annuity contract.
• Bank and brokerage accounts. Add UC Berkeley as a payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) beneficiary to direct funds to Berkeley after your lifetime.