Did you also know that a planned gift may allow you to make a larger donation than you thought possible while creating significant estate tax savings?

A deferred gift through any number of methods can allow you to help create a bright future for Your NPR News Station.

Your gift can take the form of:

• a will or living trust
  
  
• a beneficiary designation on your IRA retirement account
  
  
• a beneficiary designation on an existing life insurance policy

Any sized gift will make a difference and, in fact, there is no limit on the amount you can leave to Michigan Radio or to other charitable organizations through a deferred giving plan.

Whatever form your gift may take, the message you send remains the same:

If you have already taken steps to include Michigan Radio in your plans, thank you, and please let us know. If you would like assistance in planning a gift, we will be happy to help coordinate your efforts with your attorney or tax advisor.

For more information, call or email Larry Jonas, Director of Development at (734) 764-9210 or ljonas@umich.edu.

If you are drafting a will:

you should know that there are various types of bequests for different needs

• A specific bequest. You can name Michigan Radio as the direct beneficiary of a stated amount of money, a particular piece of property, or a stated percentage of your estate.
  
  
• A residuary bequest. You can designate Michigan Radio to receive all or a portion of the remainder of your estate once all specific bequests (to family and friends) have been satisfied.
  
  
• A contingent bequest. Often, individuals provide that assets should go to family members or friends. However, it is important to provide for a contingent beneficiary to receive assets in case your named individual beneficiaries do not survive you.

you should know Michigan Radio's legal designation:

For gifts that will take effect after your lifetime, Michigan Radio should be named in all documents as follows: the Regents of the University of Michigan for the sole purpose of benefiting Michigan Radio (aka WUOM-FM / WFUM-FM / WVGR-FM) or the University's current public radio broadcasting station(s).

you should not be overly specific with your restrictions:

You may either restrict your bequest or leave it unrestricted. Unrestricted gifts offer the advantage of permitting Michigan Radio to allocate resources in a manner consistent with changing priorities and strategies over time.

If you wish that your bequest be used for a particular interest, please add a phrase similar to the following, so as things change, your intentions can be followed as closely as possible
Examples:

...to be directed specifically to Michigan Radio's News and Information activities

...to be directed specifically to Michigan Radio arts and culture reporting.

...to be directed specifically to the development of local programming on Michigan Radio