Philanthropy has a tremendous impact on University of South Carolina students, faculty and staff. The generosity of our donors improves the lives of many, and for that, we are extremely thankful. To ensure that future generations can continue receiving the benefits of philanthropy, we offer the following ways to provide support. We would love to hear from you and begin a conversation about what may interest you or answer your questions. 

Cash 

New gifts may be given to the university at any time. Honorary and/or memorial gifts may be directed to a new or existing fund to increase the principal. Gifts may also be made directly to the annual spendable amount to increase the benefit for any given year(s). 

I felt like I owed a huge of debt of gratitude to the college and former Dean Al Scroggins. Both had been so instrumental in my career development. The college was in the middle of a large renovation project to get the building ready, and I felt cash was the best way to help. 

- Diane Creel, ’70, ’74

Matching Gift

Many companies have matching-gift programs that increase the overall impact of your personal gift. 

I really appreciate that my employer, Dominion Energy, matches my annual gift to the University. It’s like having a partner in education who helps me double my investment. It adds up over the years and has the potential to make a real impact and hopefully help a student in need.

- Therese Griffin, ’82 

Charitable Gift Annuity

Part gift and part annuity, the charitable gift annuity is a contract between the USC Educational Foundation and the donor, by which the foundation promises to pay a fixed annuity to the donor or donor/spouse for life in exchange for cash or appreciated property. The minimum amount to create a gift annuity is $50,000. Payout rates are capped at 7 percent. 

Real Estate and Personal Property

Gifts of appreciated real estate and property, such as antiques, collections, art and books used for our educational mission, also carry the beneficial tax treatment. 

Bequest

One of the most common types of planned gifts is a bequest, which can reduce taxes in large estates. For more modest estates, a bequest gives you the flexibility of keeping your assets during your life while also determining how they will be used upon your death. 

Charitable Remainder Trust

For larger life-income gifts, this trust permits a donor to make a gift of appreciated assets, avoid all capital gains taxes that would come with a sale and receive a payment stream for life. 

Retirement Plan

Because of favorable tax treatment, the retirement plan has become a popular savings tool. It is also the most efficient way of making a gift at death. Just request a change-of-beneficiary form from your plan administrator. 

IRA Rollover Gift

If you are 70 1⁄2 or older, consider making a gift of up to $100,000 from your IRA. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions. 

Gift Planning

We can maximize your gift by guiding it to the areas where it can do the most good, for the university  and for you. You may qualify for tax savings or even get a monthly payment in return. 

Planned giving was the perfect way for me to leave a gift to the school that has given me so much more over the years than I can ever repay. I had two reasons for my planned gift: One was that I wanted to provide some assistance to future school administrators by providing some unencumbered funds that can be used for anything deemed necessary. 

The second — and most important to me personally — was my desire to honor my former assistant dean, Gayle Douglas Johnson. For 17 years, she and I worked side by side as one. I can’t tell you how incredibly important she was to the success of anything achieved by the school. I saw this as a way to recognize and honor her. She and I had budget responsibility, and unencumbered funds would have been an incredible help! 

Whatever your reasons for making a gift to the school, you can design your gift in the manner you wish it to be received and for the uses you specify. There is no right or wrong way to make a planned gift — only your way.

- Fred Roper, former iSchool dean