Planned Giving

It may be the most important, but little recognized, planned gift in Wake Forest history. The benefactor's name—Jabez A. Bostwick—is familiar to most only as the name on dormitories on the old and new campuses. Few know that Bostwick ensured the survival of the college with a planned gift more than a century ago. His gift became the foundation for the University's endowment and was touted at the time as "establishing Wake Forest as a privately endowed college."

The major advances in the endowment of Wake Forest and other private colleges and universities have come largely through the mechanism of planned gifts. Both large and small gifts from the estates of many individuals have increased the endowment and strengthened the educational programs of Wake Forest.

Individual gifts account for about 83 percent of all charitable giving. Yet few people are aware of the advantages of making charitable gifts from capital assets—through a will or trust, for example—rather than current income.

A planned gift is a gift of capital that can be an outright gift, a life-income gift, or a charitable bequest. It can be made during a donor's lifetime or at the time of his or her death, and it is oftentimes motivated by a desire to meet a specific need of the donor.

The contributions from so many individuals since Wake Forest's founding have made it one of the leading universities in the nation. We encourage you to consider your personal legacy to Wake Forest University. By making a planned gift, your legacy will become a part of the University's future and will serve as a permanent reminder of your generosity to and love for Wake Forest.

Featured Article Periodically, we will post an article highlighting an aspect of planned giving with regard to the current economic climate. Read it here...

Life-Stage Gift Planner This feature will help you plan your gift. We will talk about the issues you may be dealing with as you decide which type of gift is most appropriate given your life situation. Read more...

Planned Giving Newsletter Offers estate- and gift-planning ideas and provides information on tax and financial issues. A copy is available here in PDF format.

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