There are as many ways to give to Carnegie Mellon as there are reasons to support it. In general, planned gifts can best be described as gifts of assets rather than of income.

All too often, alumni and friends assume that they cannot afford to make a significant gift to Carnegie Mellon because they do not have the income necessary to write a large check. However, these same individuals may own assets (such as stock, bonds, real estate, retirement accounts and insurance policies) that could be used to make a planned gift that would greatly benefit Carnegie Mellon and their own financial and estate planning goals. These same individuals often wrongly assume that any gift that they make to Carnegie Mellon would be made at the expense of their heirs.

Planned Gifts, therefore, are gifts of assets made in such a way as to complement the donor's need for tax relief, increased income and/or effective estate planning and the conservation of wealth for the donor's heirs.

You may choose an irrevocable planned gift or a revocable planned gift.

Oftentimes, the use of the gift assets given to Carnegie Mellon by the donor is deferred until a time certain in the future or the death of the donor and/or his or her designated beneficiaries. Therefore, because the gifted assets will only be available for the university's use in the future, planned gifts are often looked at as helping to ensure the future fiscal health of Carnegie Mellon.

Planned gifts are coordinated with the donor's individual financial and estate planning goals and objectives and as such, often involve the donor's financial, tax, investment and legal advisers. They often can provide an enhanced income stream for the donor and have substantial income and estate tax benefits.