Ways to Give
Outright Gifts and Contributions
There are many ways to support BerkeleyLaw / Boalt Hall and its programs. These include Outright Gifts, Matching Gifts and Planned Gifts. The Boalt Hall Alumni Center provides an acknowledgment of all gifts for tax purposes, and you will receive class credit for your gift.
Gifts may be charged to Visa, Mastercard or American Express. You can make a gift or pledge online. You may also call the Boalt Hall Alumni Center directly at 510.642.2590.
To make a gift by check, make your check payable to the Boalt Hall Fund and mail it to:
University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Boalt Hall Alumni Center
2850 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 500
Berkeley, CA 94705-7220
To arrange monthly, quarterly or yearly gifts via electronic funds transfer between your bank and the UC Berkeley Foundation, please complete this authorization form and mail to:
Catalina "Catie" Cariaga
University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Boalt Hall Alumni Center
2850 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 500
Berkeley, CA 94705-7220
Email: ccariaga@law.berkeley.edu
Phone: 510.643.6542
To donate gifts of securities, please contact
Sylvia Worthington
Senior Securities and Special Gifts Analyst
Email: sworthington@berkeley.edu
Phone: 510.642.4123
If you have any questions about making a gift to Boalt, please contact us.
Email: bhf@law.berkeley.edu
Phone: 510.642.2590
Matching Gifts
Double Or Triple Your Gift to Boalt
Today, an increasing number of companies and law firms offer varying levels of corporate match for their employees’ philanthropic interests. Some employers even match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses. Best of all, you are recognized for the full amount of your own plus any resulting corporate match.
Take advantage of this great opportunity by contacting your Human Resources office to request more information and a matching gift form. Send the completed form by mail to:
Alumni Center
2000 Center St, Suite 400
Berkeley, CA 94704-7200
Questions? Contact Catalina "Catie" Cariaga at 510.643.6542 or ccariaga@law.berkeley.edu.
Planned Gifts
Overview
Planned Gifts A planned gift may enable you to satisfy personal financial planning needs in addition to providing Boalt Hall with important, long-term support. Some plans may provide income for life (or a term of years), an immediate income tax charitable deduction, avoidance of capital gains tax, and professional asset management (if Boalt serves as trustee). If a gift is made through your will, you obtain significant estate tax benefits.Of special note: Individuals aged 70.5 are also allowed under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to direct their IRA directly to charity through December 31, 2009.
If you would like more detailed information about any of the options listed below, please contact the Alumni Center at alumni@law.berkeley.edu. You may also visit UC Berkeley's Gift Planning website.
Bequests A provision in your will or living trust that directs a portion of your estate to a named beneficiary (such as Boalt) is called a bequest. A charitable bequest not only furthers your lifetime commitment to the law school, but also qualifies your estate for a charitable deduction that can reduce estate tax liability. There are several ways to make a bequest: You can arrange to give Boalt a specific monetary amount, a piece of property, or a percentage of your estate. Residual and contingent bequests provide first for your family, and then, if circumstances permit, for the law school.Charitable Remainder Trusts A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is an arrangement under which you transfer money or property to the UC Berkeley Foundation. The Foundation manages and invests the assets as a separate fund and makes payments to you or to other beneficiary(ies) for their lives or the period of years specified in the trust agreement. When these payments terminate, the assets in the trust pass to the law school, in care of UC Berkeley to be used as you specified.
CRTs are designed to offer various federal income and estate tax deductions for gifts benefiting charities or educational institutions. In addition, if appreciated assets are used to fund a CRT, the donor avoids capital gains tax.
Charitable Gift Annunities
Gift annuities are contracts between an individual and a charitable organization such as Boalt Hall. In exchange for a gift of cash or other property to the law school, you (or the person of your choice) will receive an annuity that pays you a fixed amount of money for life. Charitable gift annuities offer the option of receiving annuity payments immediately or deferring them until a later date.
Pooled Income Funds
A pooled income fund works much like a mutual fund. Gifts from many Boalt friends and alumni are managed and invested jointly, and all income earned by the fund is paid out in proportionate shares to its participants quarterly. Four different funds with different investment objectives are available.
Real Estate
A gift of real estate is often an effective way to make a major gift to a charitable organization such as the law school, since the gift entitles the donor to an income tax deduction for the property’s full appraised fair market value.
Almost any marketable real estate is suitable for a charitable gift, including personal residences, farms, commercial buildings, forest land, and shares in a cooperative apartment corporation. Unencumbered property is preferable and generates the greatest tax benefit.
Retirement Assets
Many alumni in their 70s and older are discovering that they have accumulated estates and retirement plans far in excess of anything they ever imagined possible. Tax burdens—sometimes more than 70 percent—can eat away at retirement plan assets when they are left outright to heirs. Making a charitable gift of retirement assets is one way to lessen the tax burden associated with such assets and to support the law school at the same time. Charitable organizations will benefit from the Emergency Economic
Stabilization Act of 2008, i.e. "the Bank Bailout Bill", which passed on October 3, 2008. A provision that allowed donors aged 70.5 to direct their IRA directly to charity was included. It has been made retroactive to January 1, 2008 and will continue until December 31, 2009.
If you have any questions about making a gift to Boalt, please contact the Alumni Center at 510.643.0101 or giftplanning@law.berkeley.edu.
