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Top 5 Reasons to Share Your Plans

Why, you may wonder, does Wake Forest want to know if you have the University in your estate plans? Don't they know plans may change frequently and for reasons unrelated to Wake Forest?

These fair and frequent questions deserve answers. Here are five answers.

Living Gratitude

• You'll receive lifetime membership in the Wake Forest Legacy Society, our only society offering membership for life to our donors regardless of amount committed or age at the time of commitment. You are also a member if your commitment is contingent or based on another's life. Learn more about our Legacy Society and the things we do together.
• We'll know about your estate commitment and will be able to appropriately acknowledge and celebrate your commitment with you, perhaps inspiring others to include the University in their plans for the future as well.
• We will better understand your interests and inform you of events and programs that may be of interest to you based on the areas you indicate for future support.

Start Counting

• We'll include your estate commitment in your lifetime giving record along with the areas of the University you would like to support if you are 50 years of age or older.

If You're In, You're In

• We can create a fund agreement with you (the fun part!) and provide an opportunity most universities do not – grandfather you into the fund minimums in effect at the time you document your estate commitment with us in writing.
• You may establish departmental endowments, allowing department chairs the flexibility to use the money where they deem most important, with a commitment of $50,000 or more.
• You may establish endowed scholarships and faculty support funds with a commitment of $100,000 or more.
• While we welcome any and all donations you wish to make to your fund, you are not required to augment any portion of the fund during your lifetime. We simply link your fund agreement to your donor record; your estate funds it after your passing.
• Grandfathering you into current fund minimums provides you with the confidence your legacy at Wake Forest will continue for generations to come, regardless of what fund minimums are at the time of your passing.

Get Ahead of the Game

• Federal and state laws can change over time. In some cases, they can even forbid your fund's original purpose. We can alert you to legislative changes affecting designations and purposes you wish to support at the University level, thereby eliminating the potential for confusion or the inability to use the funds as you ultimately desire.
• Creating a fund agreement now specifying your wishes eliminates the need to change your estate documents under certain circumstances as well.
• If we are unaware of your estate commitment and the purposes outlined in your estate documents are prohibited or impossible for us to execute, unnecessary complications may arise that easily could have been avoided.

See It Now

We can help you enjoy your investment in Wake Forest through a current-use or endowed gift made during your life. For example:

• With a four-year commitment, a scholarship may be funded for $5,000 per year. Many donors choose this current-use option to witness the benefit and impact of their philanthropy in advance of an estate gift fully funding the initiative.
• Some donors decide to endow the funds they create now and have their estate add to the fund at the time they pass. These donors often have a desire to see and enjoy the impact of their investment at Wake Forest today and in the future.

Please consult with your personal advisors on all legal, tax or financial issues related to gift or tax matters. Nothing contained on this page or anywhere on our website should be considered legal, tax or financial advice.