Discover the Assets You Can Give

Assets to give

• Giving cash

  A gift of cash can be a simple way to provide an outright gift, make a bequest, or establish a life income gift, such as a charitable gift annuity, a charitable remainder annuity trust, or a charitable remainder unitrust. Cash gifts may allow you to use more of the charitable income tax deduction in any given year than gifts made with other types of assets.

• Publicly traded securities

  Publicly traded securities can be used to make an outright charitable gift. If you give appreciated securities that you have held longer than one year, you are entitled to a charitable deduction from your income tax for the full fair market value of the securities. You also may be able to defer or completely avoid capital gains tax on the securities, depending on the type of gift. Publicly traded securities can also be given to Stanford to establish a life income gift or through one’s estate.

  Publicly traded securities may be transferred electronically from a brokerage account to Stanford. Please consult information on appreciated securities transfers here. To ensure that your gift is properly credited, if your gift is to establish or add to a life income gift, please contact us before you make the gift.

• Real estate

  Real estate can be given outright, through an estate, or to fund some life income gifts such as the charitable remainder unitrust. Another option is to give Stanford a remainder interest in your home while retaining the right to live in it for the rest of your life. You receive a current income tax charitable deduction for a portion of the property’s value.

  Read more about making a gift of real estate

• Retirement plan gifts

  Giving from your retirement plan as part of your estate plan

  A retirement plan can be a tax-efficient and simple way of including the university in your estate plan. The best method is to name Stanford as a primary or secondary beneficiary on your plan’s beneficiary designation form. The tax advantage stems from the fact that most retirement plans are subject to income taxes—and possibly estate taxes—if left to an individual beneficiary; however, a charity that is named as the beneficiary does not pay income or estate taxes on the distribution. To learn more, please visit our IRA and Other Retirement Plan Gifts page or contact the Office of Planned Giving.

  Giving currently from your IRA

  To learn more about IRA Charitable Rollovers, please read the “IRA Charitable Rollovers” section on the IRA and Other Retirement Plan Gifts page or contact the Office of Planned Giving.

• Life insurance

  You can make Stanford the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, and your estate will receive a charitable deduction from estate taxes for that gift. You may also, under certain circumstances during your lifetime, make Stanford University the owner of a life insurance policy on your life, and receive an income tax charitable deduction for a portion of the face value of that policy.

• Personal property

  Stanford welcomes gifts of many kinds of personal property that may be used in the mission of the university. The Office of Planned Giving staff will be happy to help determine whether the university can accept a specific gift.

• Other assets to give

  The university also welcomes gifts of many other kinds of investment assets, including closely held stock and partnerships. Planned Giving staff will be happy to help determine whether the university can accept any offered gift.

  For more information, please contact us.

  (800) 227-8977, ext. 54358 (toll free; U.S. only)
  (650) 725-4358
  (650) 723-6570 (fax)

  Email us

  Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center
  c/o Office of Planned Giving
  326 Galvez Street
  Stanford, CA 94305-6105