Ways to Give

Donations made by Credit Card and Check are convenient and provide a charitable income tax deduction. Please visit Giving to Maryland: The School of Public Health to explore various fund designations. Checks should be made out to the University of Maryland College Park Foundation and include the designation of your choice in the memo line.

Checks can be mailed to:
University of Maryland College Park Foundation
Attention: Gift Acceptance
4603 Calvert Road
College Park, MD 20740

Stocks and securities grant a full deduction equal to the fair market value of the donated shares. These gifts also generate a double benefit: donors pay no long-term capital gains taxes on the sale, thereby lowering the cost to them compared to giving the same amount as cash, check, or credit card.

Real estate, land, personal property, non-publicly traded shares, artwork, and other illiquid assets offer donors the double benefit of a fair market value charitable deduction and the ability to avoid long-term capital gains taxes—with the additional added convenience of not having to be involved in the sale.

With the Qualified Charitable Distribution, if you are 70½ years old or older, you can take advantage of a simple way to support Maryland and receive tax benefits in return. You can give up to $100,000 from your IRA directly to a qualified institution such as Maryland without having to pay income taxes on the money. This gift can also qualify as your required minimum distribution if you are age 72 and above.

These legacy gifts are planned now but completed later, usually after the donor’s life. Examples include:

• Provisions in a will or living trust, also referred to as a bequest, gives the university a specific amount, a percentage of the estate, or a specific asset
• Beneficiary designations of retirement funds, like IRAs and 401(k)s and life insurance

A legacy gift provides the opportunity to:

• Fund an endowment or make a larger gift than is possible during life
• Plan a gift that will only happen after and if other estate goals are met
• Have the flexibility to revoke the gift if life circumstances change
• Cement a lasting impact and a long-term relationship with the university
• Join the Founders Legacy Society, a community of like-minded individuals who want to ensure the future excellence of the university

For more information on estate gifts and sample bequest language to share with your attorney, please visit giftplanning.umd.edu or contact us at giftplanning@umd.edu or at 866.646.4UMD.

You can also irrevocably donate an asset but keep a benefit for yourself or your family. Donors can give assets while retaining:

• Income from the asset either in fixed or variable payments. This is done through a Charitable Gift Annuities or Charitable Remainder Trust.
• The asset itself. This is made possible by donating the income from that asset to the university for a set period of time, with the asset returning to the donor or family at the end of the term through a Charitable Lead Trust. Charitable Lead Trusts deliver immediate, usable cash to the university.
• The use of the asset, if it is a personal residence—including vacation properties and second homes—or farm. The donor can transfer ownership but live in and use the property for life via a Retained Life Estate gift.

UMD Now Accepts Crypto!  Donating cryptocurrency is a non-taxable event, meaning you do not owe capital gains tax on the appreciated amount and can deduct it on your taxes.  This makes Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency donations one of the most tax efficient ways to support your favorite cause. For more information, please visit https://giftplanning.umd.edu/cryptocurrency.