Make a gift to the 乐播传媒 Fund

By making a gift to the 乐播传媒 Fund by writing a check or giving through our website, you help students with every aspect of their 乐播传媒 education and may receive a federal income tax charitable deduction. If you itemize, you can write off the amount you鈥檙e donating, resulting in lower taxable income. Unsure of whether your gift is tax-deductible? Contact your financial advisor or tax consultant.

Timing tip: Your envelope must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before Dec. 31 for your donation to qualify this year.

Use Appreciated Securities

For securities held longer than one year, you may be able to deduct the full fair market value and avoid capital gains tax. LEARN MORE.

Timing tip: If the securities are electronically transferred to us, the gift date is the day the securities enter our account鈥攏ot the date you ask your broker to make the transfer.

Contribute to Your Donor Advised Fund (DAF)

Allocate funds to your DAF and receive a charitable deduction immediately. You can then set up a recurring grant to 乐播传媒. You can also consider making 乐播传媒 the designated beneficiary of your DAF.

Timing tip: You qualify for a tax deduction when you contribute to your DAF, not when you recommend a grant鈥攖hough with the latter, you get to see your gift help a cause you care about. 

Make a Gift From Your IRA

At 70 1鈦�2 or older, you can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution of up to $105,000 from your IRA. The direct distribution to charity would not be included in taxable income, lowering your tax liability even if you do not itemize. If you are required to take minimum distributions, you can use your gift to satisfy that requirement. 

Timing tip: Your IRA administrator must remove the funds from your account by Dec. 31 for your donation to qualify this year. If you have check-writing features on your IRA, your check must clear your account by Dec. 31 to count toward your required minimum distribution for the calendar year.

Lock in High Gift Annuity Rates

Payout rates for  are currently the highest they have been in more than 10 years. That could change sometime in 2025. When you arrange a gift annuity with 乐播传媒 you receive fixed payments for life in exchange for a gift of cash or securities. In many cases you also receive a significant tax deduction in the year of your gift. Contact 乐播传媒 if you would like to take advantage of the higher rates by creating a gift annuity before 2024 ends. 

Timing tip: Please contact the Office of Gift Planning today so we can show you an illustration of how this kind of gift can be tailored to your goals and arrange for the annuity before year-end.

Visit the 乐播传媒 Ways to Give website and talk to your financial advisor about how these tax provisions may affect your giving. Thank you for your support and friendship and for being such an important part of our 乐播传媒 community.

If you have questions or would like to speak with a member of our staff, please contact the 乐播传媒 Office of Gift Planning at 800-762-3145 or giftplanning@bates.edu.

The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. 

Gifts from Phillips Society members have transformed an even stronger future. Here are just a few examples.

A gift and a namesake. In 1998, 乐播传媒鈥� fourth president, Charles F. Phillips, and his wife, Evelyn Minard Phillips made a $9-million endowment bequest. The gift helped pay for Pettingill Hall, now a central fixture on campus. Their investment in 乐播传媒 has also supported student and faculty fellowships offering immersion experiences in other cultures.

A gift of literary note. Iva Foster graduated from 乐播传媒 in 1930. She later attended Columbia to receive a degree in library science. In 1993 her estate made a gift to 乐播传媒 that would provide income for her family while growing steadily as part of the 乐播传媒 Pooled Income Fund. Her gift came to 乐播传媒 to create the Irene & Irving Foster Library Endowment, which supports student and faculty resources at the library. Almost 100 years ago, Iva may not have foreseen the transformation of how students would use the library at 乐播传媒 but her generosity lives on to help 乐播传媒 adapt to 21st-century library science. 

A gift that keeps giving. John R. Hester 鈥�75鈥檚 beneficiary designation that came to 乐播传媒 in 2024 has added $3.2 million dollars to 乐播传媒鈥� unrestricted endowment鈥攁 cornerstone of the college鈥檚 yearly operations, providing flexible annual income that can be used to address emerging needs. In recent years, the unrestricted endowment has helped to fund critical campus improvements including revitalizing Chase Hall, Hathorn Hall, and Dana Hall, home to the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning. John鈥檚 gift is a significant part of his class鈥檚 50th Reunion Gift this year.

Become a Phillips Society Member

Here are three simple ways to join.

1. Name 乐播传媒 in your 
2. Name 乐播传媒 a  of your IRA, your bank account, donor-advised fund and/or life insurance policy.
3.  in return for a secure income for you or your loved ones.

To indicate your interest in joining the Phillips Society or to learn more, please fill out the form below. As always, you can  at any time.

When you leave your retirement plan assets to loved ones, distributions will be subject to income taxes. A better alternative for family members is to pass on income tax-free inheritances, such as real estate, cash, and life insurance. Then, use retirement plan assets to support charities like 乐播传媒, which receive these assets free of taxes.聽

Depending on your age, you can arrange for gifts now, later, and even arrange a gift that spreads out the current tax implications of your retirement distributions within your lifetime. In other words, you can use your

• The IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (IRA QCD) allows individuals who are 70 陆 years or older to direct distributions from their IRA account to qualified domestic charities each tax year up to an annual limit. Through calendar year 2024, the annual QCD limit for an outright gift is $105,000.

• You can fund a gift that pays you income through your retirement account. Donors can now establish a gift annuity with a one-time distribution from their IRA, up to $53,000. There are some quirks, so contact us with questions.

• Name 乐播传媒 as a beneficiary by asking your plan administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form. Fill it out, adding 乐播传媒 as a beneficiary (or partial beneficiary), and return it. That鈥檚 it! The assets pass to 乐播传媒 estate tax鈥揻ree, so 100 percent of your gift can support students and programs.

I鈥檓 so pleased to share this first edition of Enduring Connection with you this fall. It鈥檚 been on my 鈥渢o do鈥� list since starting as Director last year. Gathering the stories together has been a joy. We all have 鈥渢o do鈥� lists kicking around, but have you ever thought about what it would be like if that 鈥渢o do鈥� list became a 鈥済et to do鈥� list?

For many of us, estate planning fits squarely into a 鈥渢o do鈥� column. We know it鈥檚 important because it ensures that our children and resources are cared for in the future, nonetheless, it feels like an arduous project. 

When we think about estate planning with philanthropy in mind, the exercise changes. When we 鈥済et to鈥� plan what happens to our resources, our imagination also is allowed to wander. We get to think about our wildest dreams for the future鈥攁 lasting scholarship that supports STEM students at 乐播传媒, funds for students facing emergency expenses, an endowment that covers the cost of your favorite varsity team, a professorship in the field of your choice. 

Gifts that come to 乐播传媒 through beneficiary designations, wills, and estate plans have historically been 乐播传媒鈥� largest source of endowment support. So when you start thinking about that 鈥渢o do鈥� list. I hope you will remember that taking that next step in your planning could be a 鈥済et to鈥� for you and for 乐播传媒’ future.