Your act of generosity, our longevity
With planned giving, you can provide long‑lasting support for Fresno State while enjoying financial benefits for yourself.
Leaving a Gift in Your Will
A charitable bequest is one of the easiest and most flexible ways that you can leave a gift to Fresno State that will make a lasting impact.
Benefits of a bequest
- Receive an estate tax charitable deduction
- Reduce the burden of taxes on your family
- Leave a lasting legacy to charity
How a bequest works
A bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an attorney, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to be made to family, friends or Fresno State as part of your estate plan, or you can make a bequest using a beneficiary designation form.
Here are some of the ways to leave a bequest to Fresno State
- Include a bequest to Fresno State in your will or revocable trust
- Designate Fresno State as a full, partial or contingent beneficiary of your retirement account (IRA, 401(k), 403(b) or pension)
- Name Fresno State as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy
A bequest may be made in several ways
- Percentage bequest - make a gift of a percentage of your estate
- Specific bequest - make a gift of a specific dollar amount or a specific asset
- Residual bequest - make a gift from the balance or residue of your estate
Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest to us, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you. If you have been so generous as to include a bequest to Fresno State as part of your estate plan, please take the time to let us know. We would like to recognize you and your family for your generosity.
Seek Advice
Planning your estate can sometimes get complicated. Even simple estate plans can have severe tax and other legal consequences. As you review these pages, please remember that there are always exceptions to every rule. We encourage you to seek guidance from a qualified licensed professional such as an attorney or certified public accountant to be certain that your desires are fulfilled without any unwelcome surprises.
How Can Fresno State's Planned Giving Office Be of Assistance?
We are charitable planning specialists and have resources available to support both your investigation and your implementation of gift planning techniques. Our services are professional, confidential and collaborative. They are provided without cost or obligation. We encourage you to call on us to assist you, your family and your advisors in exploring financial, estate and charitable planning.
For more information, please contact:
Becky Brown, CSPG
Director of Development
5241 North Maple Ave., M/S TA45
Fresno, CA 93740-8023
559.278.1877
[email protected]
Additional Information
The method used to make a bequest will depend on the kind of gift you choose to leave to Fresno State.
Bequests of real estate, personal property, business interests and cash are typically made by way of a will, revocable trust or even a simple codicil to your current estate plan. Your estate-planning attorney can assist you in preparing the necessary papers for you to complete the bequest.
Other bequests, such as those involving retirement assets, insurance policies, bank accounts and stocks and bonds, are typically made by completing the appropriate beneficiary designation form. Simply contact your retirement plan administrator, life insurance company, bank or investment broker and ask them to send you the appropriate "beneficiary designation" or "payable on death" form. To complete your bequest, you will need to complete and sign the form and then send it back to the person who originally sent the form to you.
The last step in leaving any bequest involves the transfer to charity. When you pass away, the bequest property will be transferred to Fresno State. The full value of this gift will be transferred tax-free and your estate will receive an estate tax charitable deduction.