You may be looking for an easy way to make a big difference to help further the mission of Tennessee Wesleyan University. If you are 70½ or older, you may also be interested in a way to lower the income and taxes from your IRA withdrawals. An IRA charitable rollover is a way you can help continue our work and benefit this year.

Benefits of an IRA charitable rollover:

• Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $100,000 from your IRA to our organization.
• Satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year.
• Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions.
• Make a gift that is not subject to the 50% deduction limits on charitable gifts.
• Help further the work and mission of the university.
• How an IRA charitable rollover gift works
• Contact your IRA plan administrator to donate from your IRA to us.
• Your IRA funds will be directly transferred to TWU to help continue our important work.
• Please note that IRA charitable rollover gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction.
• Please contact us if you wish for your contribution to be used for a specific purpose. 

Contact usIf you have any questions about an IRA charitable rollover gift, please contact us at advancement@tnwesleyan.edu or call (423)746-5330. We would be happy to assist you and answer any questions you might have. *This information is not intended as tax, legal or financial advice. Gift results may vary. Consult your financial advisor for information specific to your situation.

Double or triple the impact of your gift to Tennessee Wesleyan University!

Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees.

If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed with your gift. We will do the rest. The impact of your gift to Tennessee Wesleyan University may be doubled or possibly tripled! Some companies match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses.

You can significantly benefit Tennessee Wesleyan and at the same time reduce your taxes by giving assets other than cash and stock.

Retirement Assets

When retirement assets-those held in qualified retirement plans or in individual retirement accounts (IRAs)-pass to heirs, they can lose up to 85% of their value to estate, gift and income taxes. If you designate them to Tennessee Wesleyan, they are not taxed, and their full value supports the purpose you choose. Thus, giving retirement assets magnifies your impact without costing your heirs.

For taxpayers over 70 1/2, the IRA charitable rollover provision allows tax-free distributions directly to charity from traditional or Roth IRAs in 2013 and 2014.

Real Estate

By giving real estate, you can avoid capital gains taxes and brokers’ fees often associated with selling these assets. You may give real estate outright to Tennessee Wesleyan or use it to establish a gift that pays you income. Such contributions may consist of a full or partial interest in almost any kind of property, including:

• Residence
• Vacation home
• Farm
• Ranch
• Condominium
• Cooperative apartment
• Commercial property

Personal Property

Gifts of personal property are a creative way to earn a tax deduction while helping Tennessee Wesleyan. You can give equipment, artwork, rare books or any other kind of property that the college can use in its educational mission. We would be happy to consult with you about gifts of personal property.

Planned giving allows you to make a gift of personal assets now or after your lifetime through your will. A common misconception is that planned giving is only for wealthy individuals, but the truth is, even people of modest means can make a difference through planned giving.

Planned gifts do require some planning, and, often, help from a professional advisor. Unlike cash donations, they are typically made from assets in your estate rather than disposable income and are fulfilled upon your death. The University will work with you and your estate planner in designing a planned gift that meets both your short and long term financial goals. Planned gifts can include cash, stocks, bonds, retirement plan assets, insurance policies or other negotiable items.

The most common planned gift is a bequest in your will or living trust. Bequests are often a significant source of financial support for the college. If you wish to include Tennessee Wesleyan University in your will, please use the following sample language:

“I give, devise, and bequeath (the sum of/percentage of/residue of) my estate to Tennessee Wesleyan University, a non-profit corporation with principal offices in Athens, Tennessee, to be utilized for the general benefit of Tennessee Wesleyan University (or the specified program at Tennessee Wesleyan University).”

Other planned gifts include gift annuities and life insurance.

For additional information on planned giving, contact the Office of Advancement at (423) 746-5330 or advancement@tnwesleyan.edu.

Leadership Circle membership is extended to donors that contribute gifts to Tennessee Wesleyan University in the amount of $1,000 or greater in a given fiscal year. The President’s Leadership Circle honors our distinguished donors who demonstrate their commitment to supporting the mission of TWU by making substantial gifts to our annual fund. These generous yearly investments help Tennessee Wesleyan pursue its mission by:

• Providing scholarships and unique educational opportunities for students.
• Making exceptional facilities available with state-of-the-art technology.
• Building academic and administrative excellence by launching new programs and offerings.

Giving at the leadership level, members have an immense impact on the direction and strategies of the college now and as we move into the future. The impact reaches into our local and regional communities as Tennessee Wesleyan continues to be a centerpiece for enriching the education, economic, and cultural lives of us all.

Gifts valued at the membership level may include cash, securities, real or personal property as well as gifts-in-kind. Matching gifts from employers are also accepted as a part of an individual’s qualifying gift for membership. Qualifying gifts from corporate and foundation support are recognized in Leadership Circle membership as well. 

For more information, please contact the Advancement Office at (423)746-5330.

Benefits include:

• Invitation to special President’s Leadership Circle Reception events
• Prominent recognition and listing in the Annual Report
• Personal communications from the President
• Notice of college-sponsored opportunities
• Be counted as a philanthropist who demonstrates belief in the mission of the college by supporting the leaders of tomorrow

Many people find the best way to make a charitable gift is in the form of marketable securities that have increased in value. It may be possible to make your usual gift at a lower cost or even make a larger gift at no increased after-tax cost.

Gifts of securities offer a double-tax benefit. When you give securities (stocks, bonds or shares in a mutual fund) that have increased in value and have been owned long enough to qualify as long-term property, you are entitled to a federal income tax deduction based on the current fair market value of the security, regardless of original cost. The second benefit comes from the fact that a gift is not a sale. As a result, you do not have to pay capital gains tax on any increase in value in the securities given. The capital gains tax would be due if you sold them yourself. Bypassing the tax altogether by making a charitable gift can be a major benefit.

For example, if your securities were purchased for $300 and sold for $1,000, tax on the $700 increase in value could be bypassed. To arrive at the total tax savings for a gift of appreciated securities, you must count both the charitable deduction and the capital gains bypasses. Thus, the net cost of giving can be significantly lower when a gift is made in the form of appreciated property rather than cash.

Appreciated stocks, bonds and mutual funds can be transferred to the college through your broker. Please click below for detailed instructions on how to make a gift of securities or contact the Office of Advancement at (423) 746-5330 or advancement@tnwesleyan.edu.

Making a gift in honor or memory of a special person or event is a thoughtful way to recognize a special occasion or an individual’s life and accomplishments.

A gift to Tennessee Wesleyan University may be made in honor of a specific person (faculty member, classmate, parent, friend or someone who has inspired you), event (birthday, anniversary or special occasion) or to celebrate the life of a loved one. If someone special helped transform your life, making a gift in their honor is a great way to show your appreciation. Please indicate the full name and address of the person you wish to honor at the time of your gift so that we may notify them of your kindness and thoughtfulness.

Gifts to the University may also be made in memory of a person who has transformed the life of the donor. Memorial gifts are a beautiful and loving way to pay special tribute to a loved one. Please indicate the name and address of the family member you would like us to notify of your gift.

No mention of the dollar amount of the gift will be made with acknowledgment of the honorarium or memorial gift unless otherwise indicated.

OBITUARY INFORMATION

Should you wish to include information in an obituary to direct memorial gifts to Tennessee Wesleyan, we offer the following sample wording:

“In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Tennessee Wesleyan, in memory of [individual’s name]. Checks may be made payable to Tennessee Wesleyan and mailed to: TWU Advancement Office, 204 E. College Street, Athens, TN 37303.”

For more information about making a memorial or honorarium donation to Tennessee Wesleyan, contact the Office of Advancement at (423) 746-5330.