Augustana’s excellence is rooted in several key factors, including the generosity of alumni and friends who include the College in a planned gift.

One donor couple recently shared the motivation for including Augustana in their estate plans: “It’s our way of saying thank you, for everything.” They went on to say that a planned gift allowed them to maximize their giving intentions while still working within their financial plan for the future.

That is the unique nature of a planned gift. Remembering Augustana in your estate plan is a way to maintain your current lifestyle and enjoy important tax benefits, while making a legacy investment in the College.

Our development office team welcomes your call and looks forward to meeting with you to discuss a variety of planned gift strategies. With your permission, we can also consult with your financial and legal advisors to ensure that the plans we develop meet your needs, honor your intentions and maximize the impact of your investment.

Heritage Club

The Heritage Club recognizes individuals who have decided to make a planned gift to Augustana. This is accomplished through gifts by will, charitable trusts, life insurance, gift annuities or other means. More than 400 alumni and friends are already members of the Heritage Club. All are committed to investing in the future of Augustana.

Gift Opportunities

Gifts by Will
A charitable gift through your will may be designated for an endowed scholarship in your name, a building, an academic program or other college need. Your estate receives a 100 percent tax deduction from federal and state inheritance taxes.

Charitable Remainder Unitrusts
The charitable remainder unitrust makes payments to you on a pre-determined percentage (at least 5 percent) of the value of the trust's assets, which are re-evaluated each year. Since assets can rise or fall according to fair market value, the amount paid to you varies.

Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts
The charitable remainder annuity trust pays you a fixed sum of dollars annually, not less than 5 percent of the initial value placed in the trust. Once determined, the amount paid to you never varies. Like the unitrust, the annuity trust can be funded with cash, securities, and bonds.

Annuities
Charitable gift annuities are a type of life income gift. It is an exchange of cash, securities, real estate, or other property in return for a contractual obligation for the College to pay you and/or your spouse a specified amount of money for your lifetime(s), determined by a rate schedule based on your age. The remainder goes to the College.

Gifts of Life Insurance
If you give ownership of the policy to Augustana, you receive an immediate income tax deduction, usually in an amount equal to the cash surrender value. If you are still paying the premiums, your premium payment to the College becomes a charitable gift. If you simply name Augustana as a beneficiary, the face value of the policy will eventually constitute a gift in your name, included in your estate, but 100 percent deductible for federal estate tax purposes.

Property Deeded with Life Estate Retained
You can decide to give Augustana your personal residence or farm but continue to live there. You would receive a substantial income tax deduction for the transfer. The tax savings can be spent or reinvested for improved future income.

Charitable or Lead Trust
This trust is established with the income going first (or leading) to the College, with the remainder eventually passing to your family. This is ideal if your children do not need additional income, but you want to provide for family members more than 10 years from now. The trust's income flows first to the charity, then eventually to the family members at substantial tax savings.

For more information on planned giving opportunities, please call the Development Office at 605.274.5521 or toll-free at 800.727.2844, extension 5521. Thank you for your commitment to Augustana College!