Ways to Give
Investing in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters Means Investing in the Future
At the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, every gift makes a difference.
We are deeply grateful to our donors, alumni, friends, and community partners who believe in the power of a liberal arts education to shape thoughtful leaders, engaged citizens, and creative problem-solvers.
Your support fuels scholarships, hands-on research, global learning, faculty excellence, and community engagement across more than 50 academic programs. From lab discoveries to digital storytelling, from social justice initiatives to data-driven innovation, your generosity empowers our students to explore widely, think critically, and act meaningfully.
Gifts from alumni and friends also help bridge the gap between state support, tuition, and the true cost of delivering a world-class education. And the impact extends far beyond campus—nearly 80% of our graduates stay in southeastern Michigan, contributing their talents to local businesses, schools, and organizations.
When CASL students graduate, they carry with them not just knowledge but purpose. Thank you for investing in their success and in the future of our region.
Methods of Giving
One of the easiest and most common ways for you to support CASL is with a gift of cash. By making a cash gift by check, credit card or money order today, you enable us to meet our most urgent needs and carry out our educational mission on a daily basis. You will have the opportunity to see your generosity in action and will also receive a federal income tax charitable deduction, when you itemize.
Securities and mutual funds that have increased in value and been held for more than one year are one of the most popular assets to use when making a gift to the University of Michigan. Making a gift of securities or mutual funds to us offers you the chance to support CASL's future while realizing important benefits for yourself. When you give appreciated securities or mutual funds you have held for more than one year to us in support of our mission to provide our students with a quality education, you can reduce or even eliminate federal capital gains taxes on the transfer. You may also be entitled to a federal income tax charitable deduction based on the fair market value of the securities at the time of the transfer. When you donate securities to CASL, you receive the same income tax savings that you would if you wrote us a check, but with the added benefit of eliminating capital gains taxes on the transfer, which can be as high as 20 percent.
You want to ensure your support for CASL continues with a gift in your will. You also want the flexibility to change your will as life's circumstances change. You can do both. In as little as one sentence, you can complete your gift to the University of Michigan. By including CASL in your will or living trust, you ensure we can continue creating brighter futures for our students for years to come. However, not everyone wants to commit to making a gift in their wills or estates. Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using:
- IRAs and retirement plans
- Life insurance policies
- Donor advised funds
- Commercial annuities
- Bank and brokerage accounts
For more information, please contact Diane Gulyas, CASL Director of Development, at 313-593-5504 or [email protected].
There's a way for you to support CASL and feel confident that you have dependable income in your retirement years. One way you can do this is with a charitable gift annuity. With a charitable gift annuity, you agree to make a gift to CASL and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life. The balance is used to support our work. This type of donation can provide you with regular payments for life and allow CASL to further our mission. You can also qualify for a variety of tax benefits depending on how you fund your gift. If you fund your gift annuity with cash or appreciated property, you qualify for a federal income tax deduction if you itemize. In addition, you can minimize capital gains taxes when you fund your gift with appreciated property. And now, you can fund your gift using IRA assets if you are 70 1/2 and older. While your gift does not qualify for an income tax deduction, it does escape income tax liability on the transfer and count toward all or part of your required minimum distributions.
If you have built a sizable estate and are looking for ways to receive reliable payments, consider a charitable remainder trust. At the end of the trust term, the balance in the trust goes to CASL. These types of gifts may offer you tax benefits and the option for income.
For more information, please contact Diane Gulyas, Director of Development, at 313-593-5504 or [email protected].
A Special Opportunity for Those 70½ Years Old and Older
You can give any amount (up to a maximum of $108,000) per year from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as CASL without having to pay income taxes on the money. Gifts of any value $108,000 or less are eligible for this benefit and you can feel good knowing that you are making a difference at CASL. This popular gift option is commonly called the IRA charitable rollover, but you may also see it referred to as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD for short.
Why Consider This Gift?
- Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the difference your donation is making.
- Beginning in the year you turn 73, you can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution (RMD).
- You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions.
- Since the gift doesn’t count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax.
For Those 59½ Years Old or Older
If you’re at least 59½ years old, you can take a distribution and then make a gift from your IRA without penalty. If you itemize your deductions, you can take a charitable deduction for the amount of your gift.
At Any Age
No matter your age, you can designate the University of Michigan as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your IRA and it will pass to us tax-free after your lifetime. It’s simple, just requiring that you contact your IRA administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form or download a form from your provider’s website.
Tip: It’s critical to let us know of your gift because many popular retirement plan administrators assume no obligation to notify a charity of your designation. The administrator also will not monitor whether your gift designations are followed. We would love to talk to you about your intentions to ensure that they are followed. We would also like to thank you for your generosity.
For more information, please contact Diane Gulyas, CASL Director of Development, at 313-593-5504 or [email protected].
Your treasures like valuable antiques, stamp and coin collections, works of art, cars, boats and other personal property can make suitable charitable gifts today or after your lifetime. The financial benefits of the gift depend on whether we can use the property in a way that is related to our mission. Related use property—e.g., a piece of artwork donated to an art museum—is deductible at the full fair market value. Any other property is deemed nonrelated use property, and the deduction would be limited to the lesser of fair market value or your tax basis in the property. If the federal income tax charitable deduction claimed for a gift of tangible personal property exceeds $5,000, you must obtain an appraisal from a qualified appraiser and submit a special IRS form with the tax return on which the deduction is claimed.
A donor advised fund (DAF), which is like a charitable savings account, gives you the flexibility to recommend how much and how often money is granted to CASL and other qualified charities. You can recommend a grant or recurring grants now to make an immediate impact or use your fund as a tool for future charitable gifts. You can also create a lasting legacy by naming CASL the beneficiary of the entire account or a percentage of the fund. With a percentage, you can create a family legacy of giving by naming your loved ones as your successor to continue recommending grants to charitable organizations. Contact your fund administrator for a beneficiary form.
If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed with your gift. We will do the rest. The impact of your gift to CASL may be doubled or possibly tripled! Some companies also match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn provides an enriching, practice-based education that embodies the power of the Block M, with a steadfast commitment to the well-being of metro Detroit. From the beginning, we have distinguished ourselves in higher education through purposeful, mutually beneficial partnerships with local industries, governments and community organizations, creating a tangible impact.
The Look to Michigan Campaign, our most ambitious to date, aims to propel our strategic initiatives and unite our campus community around four key priorities: Student Experience and Success, Faculty and Staff Distinction, Holistic Excellence, and Economic Sustainability. At the core of these priorities are our unwavering commitments to the arts and diversity, equity and inclusion, which underscore every initiative within the campaign.
Here in CASL, we’re committed to supporting our Leaders and Best. Our goal is to empower the difference-makers of tomorrow to thrive and pursue their dreams. We believe that education should be affordable, accessible, and achievable for all. Through this commitment, we prepare the next generation of change-makers while working to build more sustainable, inclusive, and thriving communities on campus and far beyond.