Office of Development and
Alumni Relations

How to Make a Difference

Giving Opportunities

There are numerous ways to make gifts to The University of Texas at Dallas. Each gift helps make the University stronger, gets us further down the path to becoming a world-class institution, and helps increase the value of UT Dallas degrees.

Staff members from the UT Dallas Office of Development and Alumni Relations work to structure gifts that provide the greatest positive impact on both the university and the donor.

I. Gifts of Cash
Most gifts to UT Dallas are in cash. Cash gifts may be made outright or pledged for payment over a period of years. Gifts of cash provide an immediate income tax deduction.

II. Gifts of Stocks and Bonds
Gifts in the form of appreciated securities provide many benefits and advantages. Donors can receive income tax deductions equal to the fair market value of the securities, as well as reducing or eliminating capital gains taxes.

III. Memorial Gifts and Living Tributes
Gifts made to UT Dallas to memorialize or honor individuals require no minimum dollar amount. An acknowledgement is sent.

IV. Gifts of Real Estate
Almost any kind of real estate can make a valuable gift to UT Dallas. An outright gift of real estate provides the donor with a charitable income tax deduction for the fair market value of the gifted property.

V. Matching Gifts
Matching gifts multiply the benefits to UT Dallas. Hundreds of corporations will match gifts made by their employees and associates. Please check with your human resource office to determine if your employer sponsors such a program. If a matching gift program exists, it is generally the donor's responsibility to obtain the form or instructions from the human resource office to file for matching gift funds.

VI. Gifts in Kind
Valuable collections such as works of art, rare books, paintings or antiques can be gifted and also result in tax benefits.

In kind donations made during a donor's lifetime reduce the donor's taxable estate and the donor's taxable income the year the gift is made. Additionally, corporate partners enhance UT Dallas students' academic experiences through gifts in kind such as microscopes, computers, and equipment vital to state of the art educational instruction.

VII. Endowments
A gift of $10,000 or more can be used to create an endowment named for the donor or anyone the donor specifies. If you wish, the endowment may be funded over a number of years. The university distributes the income from the endowment funds according to the donor's wishes. Approximately 13% of university endowment funds have income designated for scholarships and fellowships to students. Other uses of endowment funds include professorships, research, library support, student activities and various other specified educational activities of the university.

VIII. Gifts of Life Insurance
Friends of The University of Texas at Dallas may make a gift of life insurance to the University by naming UT Dallas as the owner, primary or successor beneficiary, or irrevocable beneficiary of a life insurance policy.

IX. Gifts that Provide Income to Donors
Donors wishing to make substantial gifts to UT Dallas without giving up the annual income produced by the asset, can do so in a number of ways. University Advancement staff members can assist you in making such a gift while retaining an income for your lifetime or the lifetime of others. These arrangements share several attractive features:

Income for life paid to you and/or another beneficiary, such as your spouse
Increased income, if the gift is made to a life income plan that produces a higher yield than the donated asset
An immediate federal income tax deduction for a portion of the gift's value
Elimination of capital gains tax at the time of transfer, if the asset is in the form of securities or real estate that have appreciated in value
A donor may sell stock, which has declined in value, declare the tax loss, and give the proceeds of the sale to UT Dallas

X. Charitable Remainder Trusts
A charitable remainder trust, managed by a trustee of the donor's choice, is an excellent way to use appreciated property or securities to provide a dependable lifelong income. The donor secures an immediate charitable income tax deduction and eliminates paying capital gains tax while the trust pays an annual stipend to the donor and/or beneficiary. After the donor's lifetime, the annual income from the corpus benefits a designated academic program.

XI. Charitable Lead Trusts
A charitable lead trust allows the donor to transfer assets to others with dramatic savings on gift and estate taxes. Assets are transferred to a trust for a period of time during which the trust pays an income to UT Dallas. At the period's end, the original assets return to either the donor or to another non-charitable beneficiary, often the donor's children or grandchildren. Depending on the type of charitable lead trust selected, the donor may receive a current tax deduction or choose to defer taxation on the income earned by the trust.

XII. Gift Annuity
A gift annuity provides tax advantages and an income stream to the donor or donor's designees and an important gift to UT Dallas later. Available for small and large gifts, annuities provide a good return rate that can be paid now, or later, such as during the donor's retirement years.

A gift annuity provides tax advantages and an income stream to the donor or donor's designees and an important gift to UT Dallas later. Available for small and large gifts, annuities provide a good return rate that can be paid now, or later, such as during the donor's retirement years.

Updated: January 7, 2009