Charitable Gift Annuity
How It Works
- You transfer cash or securities to
the Cortland College Foundation.
- SUNY Cortland through the Cortland College Foundation pays you, or one other beneficiary you name, fixed income for life.
- The remaining balance passes to SUNY Cortland through the Cortland College Foundation when the contract ends at the death of the last beneficiary.
Note:
- Beneficiaries recommended to be at least 60 at the time of the gift.
- Our suggested minimum gift requirement is $5,000.
- If you're a younger donor, you may want to consider a deferred gift annuity.
Benefits
- Receive dependable, fixed income for life in return for your gift.
- In many cases, increase the yield you are currently receiving from stocks or CDs.
- Receive an immediate income tax deduction for a portion of your gift.
- A portion of your annuity payment will be tax-free.
Questions and Answers
How are the annuity payments guaranteed?
A gift annuity contract becomes a legal financial obligation of SUNY Cortland through the Cortland College Foundation and is backed up by all our assets.
Is it better to give cash or appreciated securities for my gift annuity?
Both have distinct advantages. A gift of cash will produce a larger tax-free portion of the annuity. A gift of stock can increase your income because of reduced capital gains cost. Both assets produce an equal annuity rate and charitable income tax deduction.
Can I include my children as income beneficiaries of my gift annuity?
A charitable gift annuity can only be set up for one or two lives. This is typically a husband and wife, but it could be two siblings, or two friends, etc. Beneficiaries must be at least 60 at the time of the gift.
What’s the difference between a commercial annuity and a charitable gift annuity?
A commercial annuity, typically sold by banks and life insurance companies, will provide the owner with fixed or variable income based on commercial rates of return. These plans establish their annuity payments based on the assumption that all of the assets in the plan will be used up by the end of the income beneficiaries' lives.
A charitable gift annuity is part guaranteed annuity and part charitable contribution. The donor receives a partial income tax deduction based on the assumed value of the portion of the gift the charity will ultimately receive. A gift annuity establishes its payments on the assumption that there will be something left for the charity at the end of the contract. Often annuity rates for gift annuities cannot compete with the annuity rates of a commercial annuity because of the charitable component in the contracts. But then, there are fewer tax benefits with a commercial annuity.
Can I defer my annuity payments?
Yes, you can make a gift now for an annuity contract that will defer your payments to a future date that you decide, typically sometime in your retirement years when you will need the income. In this sense, a deferred payment gift annuity can serve as a type of tax-deferred savings plan that will provide you with guaranteed income in the future.
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