FRIENDS OF WEATHERHEAD

Ways to invest

The Weatherhead School of Management has received generous support from alumni and friends. While the majority of donations are outright cash gifts, there are myriad ways to invest. Some of the various investment vehicles you can use to support the Weatherhead School are listed below.

Memorial or Tribute Gift
Whether you choose to give a cash, stock or planned gift, you can honor a loved one, friend’s achievements or memory with a gift in their honor. Contact Melissa Santee at 216.368.6192.

Outright Gifts

Cash Gifts
Cash gifts provide immediate assistance to the school. To make a cash gift, send your check, made payable to Case Western Reserve University, to The Weatherhead Fund, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-7035. Or, make your gift online. For more information on cash gifts, contact Jennifer Nye at 216.368.5225.

Securities/Stock Gifts
As with a cash gift, securities and appreciated stock provide immediate assistance to the school. Donors who wish to give appreciated stock that has been owned for at least one year can obtain substantial tax benefits by transferring it directly to the university for the benefit of the Weatherhead School. Donors receive an income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the stock on the effective date of their gift. In addition, you avoid capital gains tax on the transfer. If you sell an appreciated stock directly, you will pay a capital gains tax on the difference between the purchase price and the current market value. If you’re interested in making a gift of stock or securities, please contact Melissa Santee at 216.368.6192 or Tony Fatica in the University Treasurer's Office at 216.368.3253 or 1800.315.3863.

Matching Gifts
Matching gift programs are a great way for companies to give back to the community by contributing to organizations designated by their employees. Each year, hundreds of Weatherhead alumni are able to double the size of their annual gifts to Weatherhead through their companies' matching gift programs. Search the university's online database of over 8,000 companies to see if your employer sponsors a Matching Gift Program.

Planned Gifts

Many options exist to tailor and structure gifts that fulfill your estate planning needs while at the same time provide lasting endowment support for the Weatherhead School. Planned gifts are flexible, tax-advantaged arrangements that enable you to make substantial gifts in ways that complement your personal financial planning. Life income gifts can be designated to generate lifelong income, obtain significant income tax deductions and reduce or eliminate estate taxes. Planned gifts also can be a means of converting low-yielding assets into a higher income stream at a reduced capital gains cost. For more detailed information visit Planned Giving or contact the Office of Gift Planning at 216.368.4460 or 877.477.1143.

How to Make A Gift

Life Income Gifts
A life income gift allows you to receive income while making a significant donation to the Weatherhead School. Life income plans offer the following benefits: income payments for your life or the life of your heirs; income tax deduction; potential investment diversification; probable elimination of capital gains tax on appreciated property; reduced estate taxes and probate costs; satisfaction in supporting the Weatherhead School during your lifetime; and designating how your gift will be used in perpetuity.

Bequests
Making a bequest or gift through your will can significantly reduce your estate taxes and you do not have to part with any money while living. For example, for a 70-year-old alumnus with a net worth of $2,000,000: your approximate estate taxes and expenses total $740,000; your net gift to your heirs is $1,260,000. With a $500,000 bequest in your Last Will and Testament or Trust Agreement, your estate taxes and probate costs drop to only $480,600; your heirs still receive $1,020,000. In effect, your charitable gift costs only fifty cents on the dollar. Bequests to the Weatherhead School can include cash, securities, real estate, property, a percentage of the residue of your estate or all the residue of your estate.

Life Insurance
This is the most common and simplest form of planned giving. A gift of whole life insurance can be made to Case Western Reserve University by naming the university the irrevocable owner and beneficiary of the policy. Gifts of life insurance policies require charitable contributions from the donor to the university in the amount of any premiums, including unscheduled premiums, which may become due.

Annuities
The gift annuity provides older donors who give cash, securities, real estate, or personal property with fixed annual payments for a specified period of time, usually for life. With a deferred gift annuity, the annual payments do not start when the gift is made but begin at a later date as specified by the donor.

Gifts of Retirement Plan Assets
Tax-deferred retirement accounts, which include profit-sharing plans such as IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s, are popular because the contributions are made with pre-tax dollars and the assets in the accounts grow tax-deferred. However, funds withdrawn from these accounts are usually taxed at both high income and estate tax rates. By giving retirement account assets, donors avoid both income and estate taxes that would otherwise be due. Other less heavily taxed assets are then available to fulfill bequests to loved ones. As a result, loved ones receive more after tax.

Charitable Lead Trusts
Charitable lead trusts are most appealing to donors who wish to pass appreciated assets to their heirs without paying a substantial amount in taxes. This is accomplished by allowing Case Western Reserve University to receive income from the donor's assets for a specified time, after which the asset is transferred back to the donor or to the donor's heirs, who do not have to pay additional taxes. The donor does pay a gift tax on the asset when placed in the trust. The trust can reduce gift and estate taxes or provide a charitable deduction for the donor.

Charitable Remainder Trusts
Charitable remainder trusts (CRT's) are gift arrangements that enable a donor to contribute to the Weatherhead School while providing income for himself and/or another person. Charitable Remainder Trusts allow donors to make a significant contribution to the Weatherhead School, often larger than would otherwise be possible. There are two forms of Charitable Remainder Trusts: the unitrust (where the income is variable) and the annuity trust (where the income is fixed).

Gifts-In-Kind

Gifts-in-kind can include donations of materials or services necessary to successfully run a program, including hosting local and regional alumni events.