Estate Giving

Including a gift in your will or trust, known as a charitable bequest, is a meaningful way to support the School of Dentistry. Gifts of any size benefit our students, faculty, and programs and help sustain and strengthen the School for many years to come.

You can make a gift by including the University of Minnesota Foundation as a beneficiary in your will or revocable trust indicating support for the School of Dentistry. You can choose to give Dentistry a specific dollar amount, specific property, or a percentage of what remains after you’ve provided for your loved ones.

You can also benefit the School through a beneficiary designation on a retirement plan, life insurance policy, or other account.

To include a gift for the School of Dentistry in your will or trust, we suggest using the following language: “I give [the sum, percentage, or description of property] to the University of Minnesota Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, to be used for the benefit of School of Dentistry [specific college or program] or [according to my written instructions on file with the foundation].”

Name: University of Minnesota Foundation
Address: 200 Oak St. SE, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55455
UMF Federal Tax ID number: 41-6042488

Emily Best (612-625-6811 or [email protected]) or Sarah Gleason (612-625-9470 or [email protected]) can work with you and your attorney to customize this gift language to ensure that it accurately reflects your wishes and that the School of Dentistry will be able to use your gift as intended. The School of Dentistry's team of development professionals can help you designate your gift in a way that's most meaningful to you. 

Making a gift of appreciated assets—property or stock, for example—is one way to further causes you care about at the University of Minnesota. Consider the following tax-wise options for making a gift that will benefit students, faculty, research, or outreach programs now and in the future.

By giving the University appreciated securities that you’ve held for more than a year, you receive double the tax benefit:

• You avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation that would be due upon sale
• You also can receive a charitable income tax deduction for the current fair market value of the asset—up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income.
• In addition, you can carry forward any unclaimed portion of the deduction for up to five years, subject to the annual limit.

Personal residences, vacation homes, farms, or other land can be a great gift. In most instances, the University of Minnesota Foundation will sell the property for you. The proceeds will then be used to benefit the college, campus, or program you choose.

• Outright gifts of real estate provide an immediate benefit to the University. By giving appreciated property held for more than a year, you can avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation and receive an income tax deduction for the fair market value (subject to applicable limitations). 
• If you wish to give real estate to the U of M and control the property during your life, consider an estate gift. You can include a provision in your will or trust giving the property, or the proceeds from the sale of the property, to the University of Minnesota Foundation.
• A charitable remainder trust allows you to support the University while retaining income for yourself or others. By transferring real estate to a trust, you receive an immediate income tax deduction and avoid paying upfront capital gains tax. At the end of the trust term, the remaining assets support the charities you’ve chosen.  
• With a retained life estate, you can give your home to the University now, receive an income tax deduction, and continue to use the property for the rest of your life.