Bequests
You can support Yale by including a bequest to the university in your will, trust, or through a beneficiary designation from an account. Your bequest can be unrestricted, funding the university’s most pressing needs, or you can direct your gift to a particular purpose or use by a specific school, program, or activity at Yale.
There are several benefits to leaving assets to Yale. A commitment made today costs you nothing during your lifetime. Other heirs of your estate will not be taxed on the portion that Yale receives when the bequest is realized. You will leave a powerful legacy at the university and inspire others who share a commitment to Yale.
Contact us at development.plannedgiving@yale.edu or 203.432.5436 to learn more about bequests and discuss your plans.
Making a Bequest
Bequests can be made with cash, securities, real estate, or other property. You may designate a specific dollar amount, a particular asset, a fixed percentage of your entire estate, or leave your residuary estate after you have provided for loved ones.
A bequest from a will or a trust to Yale is fully deductible for federal estate tax purposes, and there is no limit on the deduction your estate can claim. In addition, the gift is usually exempt from state inheritance taxes.
Jim Goetz ’66 LLB
“My wife, Jill Davenport, and I make modest yearly contributions to Yale Law School, and at my fortieth reunion, we included a more generous gift in our estate plan for the general purposes of the school. I trust the administration to decide how best to use our bequest when it is received. YLS is home to so many diverse and worthwhile programs and stellar students, I know that no matter where our gift goes, it will have a positive impact.”
