Planned giving at Lock Haven University gives alumni and donors an opportunity to define their LHU legacies by making a significant and long-lasting impact on the programs and teams that matter most to them. And, now, with a multitude of giving options available to help donors fulfill their philanthropic destinies, becoming a member of LHU’s Legacy Society and empowering future changemakers by providing a planned gift to The Haven has never been easier.
Planned giving — or the charitable distribution of assets at the time of, or in anticipation of, death — is an essential component of any non-profit’s ability to achieve its immediate objectives while preserving its long-term sustainability and potential for growth. More importantly, the vast array of planned giving strategies available to LHU supporters provides donors with a plethora of opportunities to creatively and strategically provide more philanthropic support than they could by making a present-day cash gift.
The easiest and most common way of making a planned gift is for donors to make a bequest. Donors can make a bequest through their estate by including a provision in their will or living trust and naming the LHU Foundation as the beneficiary.
Donors also have the option of naming the LHU Foundation as a beneficiary of a retirement plan, an investment or bank account or a life insurance policy, with the ability to allocate a specified dollar amount or a percentage of the assets to be gifted to the Foundation following their death.
There are a number of additional strategies available to make a planned gift to the LHU Foundation, each with varying degrees of complexity, tax benefits and future impact on LHU students. Some additional LHUF planned giving options include:
IRA Rollover: Congress has enacted permanent IRA charitable rollover legislation. As a result, you can commit to making an IRA rollover gift to the LHU Foundation this year, and beyond.
Charitable Gift Annuity: Transfer cash or appreciated property to the LHU Foundation in exchange for our promise to pay you fixed payments (with rates based on your age) for the rest of your life.
Charitable Remainder Trust (Unitrust or Annuity Trust): Transfer your cash or appreciated property to fund a Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) or Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT). The trust sells your property tax free and provides you with income for life or a pre-determined number of years. Upon death the remainder is gifted to the LHU Foundation.
Charitable Lead Trusts: Fund a trust that makes gifts to the LHU Foundation for a number of years. Your family then receives the trust remainder with substantial tax savings.
Life Estate Reserved: Gift your property to the LHU Foundation, but retain the right to use the property during your life.
The aforementioned strategies are just some of the ways in which you can make a planned gift to the LHU Foundation and become a member of Lock Haven University’s Legacy Society, joining more than 100 donors who have made a planned gift to The Haven throughout the LHU Foundation’s 56-year history.
For more information on how you can make a planned gift to Lock Haven University and secure your Haven Legacy by empowering future Lock Haven University changemakers, contact LHU Foundation executive director, Ashley Koser, at 570-484-2128 or ashley.koser@lhufoundation.org.