Giving

Many employers (including your spouse’s employer) may have a matching gift program. Corporate matching gifts can double, or even triple, the value of your donation. Search the University’s online database to see if your organization participates, or check with your human resources department.

Gifts of property such as equipment, paintings, books, or art can be donated to the W.S. College of Engineering and may entitle you to an income tax deduction. Please contact Tim Rogers to make a gift of property.

Major gifts create long-term financial stability for the W.S. Lee College of Engineering and provide opportunities to merge donors’ interests with various College needs and objectives. Individuals who give $25,000 or more to UNC Charlotte over their lifetime will become members of The Chancellor’s Society, while those who donate more than $100,000 become members of The Crown Society. Contributions of $25,000 or more may be pledged to create an endowed fund, which is invested for perpetuity. A portion of the earned income is used to support the fund’s purpose, while excess earnings are reinvested which allow the fund to grow over its lifetime. Examples of endowments include student scholarships, faculty chairs, and professorships. For assistance with creating a formal gift agreement, please contact Tim Rogers.

Alumni can support UNC Charlotte and the College of Engineering by naming various spaces around campus including classrooms, offices, labs, and buildings. Additionally, naming trees and benches can be used to honor yourself or someone else. Please contact Tim Rogers to discuss naming opportunities.

There are many different options for transferring gifts of stocks or securities to The William States Lee College of Engineering, including mail, hand delivery, and direct transfer from your bank or broker. You may contact Tim Rogers for more information.

Planned gifts often provide benefits beyond the charitable deduction and can be as simple as naming the W.S. Lee College of Engineering as a beneficiary of your IRA or as complex as a gift of a closely held business. Alumni who establish a planned gift to the W.S. Lee College of Engineering will become members of the The Bonnie E. Cone Society, which was named in honor and memory of UNC Charlotte’s founder, Bonnie Cone. Within the Bonnie E. Cone Society is the Witherspoon Circle, which signifies donors that have made planned gifts of $1,000,000 or more. The most common types of planned gifts include the following:

• Charitable gift annuities or deferred charitable gift annuities can be established with appreciated securities and the capital gains tax can be spread out over your life.
• Charitable remainder annuity trusts or unitrusts can be established with appreciated securities completely avoiding the capital gains tax that would otherwise be due.
• Estate gifts do not reduce your current resources and often allow donors to do more than they might have otherwise thought possible.
• IRA, 401(k), or retirement plan assets can be heavily taxed when left to heirs but can be transferred tax-free to the College of Engineering.
• Life insurance policy by naming the College of Engineering as a beneficiary once children are grown, as these policies may no longer be needed and can make good gifts.
• Will or Trust through a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate can be a way to leave your legacy at UNC Charlotte’s College of Engineering.
• Real estate can be used to establish a charitable remainder annuity trust or unitrust or a retained life estate, all of which provide tax benefits.
• IRA Charitable Rollovers can be used by those who are 70 or older to satisfy the required minimum distribution while supporting the College of Engineering.

If you’d like to explore any of these options or learn more about the potential benefits, contact our Director of Planned Giving, Amy Shehee.