Gator Engineers teamed with Motorola to design smart phones geared for elderly customers. The phones will feature a more friendly keypad design, among other things, and could also be programmed to signal for help.

 

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Types of Gifts

There are many, many ways for you to give to Gator Engineering. Whether you decide to make a modest cash donation or give towards naming a new building, the contribution you make to the college will outlast the money itself. Gifts to the University of Florida are wise investments. Just think—you could provide a fellowship for the next Nobel Prize winner or build a lab for the researcher who will make a major discovery.

Cash & Checks

The simplest way to make a donation is to send a personal check.

Credit Cards

The UF Foundation's secure Web site is equipped to receive gifts by credit card. Increasingly, more donors are making gifts online to enhance credit card bonuses or miles earnings.

Appreciated Securities

Donors making gifts of stocks, bonds or mutual funds that have grown in value earn an income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of their securities and avoid capital gain taxes on the transfer especially given low basis investments. To receive credit for the current calendar or tax year, contributions must be electronically transmitted or postmarked by December 31.

Real and Personal Property

A residence or other real property may be given as an outright gift to the University of Florida. In the pat, some donors have opted to give appreciated land in urban areas, commercial real estate or family owned land. Gifts of land or commercial property inherit the same tax benefits as a cash gift. Property such as personal libraries, laboratory equipment or tools of the trade make useful gifts. A gift-in-kind allows the donor to ensure the life of the article given to the University of Florida and realize personal tax benefits for the appraised value of the article.

Bequests

A will provision allows donors to make a substantial contribution without diminishing the assets available to them during their lifetime. Since bequests are deductible from their taxable estate, significant estate tax savings are possible.

Charitable Gift Annuity

With a gift of money or securities, the UF Foundation will pay the donor or a loved one a fixed amount annually for the rest of his or her life. A large portion of the income is tax free, and donors also receive a charitable deduction for part of their gift.

Charitable Remainder Trusts

Donors can use an irrevocable trust to provide themselves or a loved one with a fixed annual income or an income that varies with the amount of the trust. Part of the trust qualifies for an income tax deduction. At the death of the last income beneficiary, the corpus of the trust is distributed to the charity.

Charitable Lead Trust

Donors can support the University of Florida for a term of years or for the life of an individual by creating a charitable lead trust. Income will be paid to the College of Engineering each year during the life of the trust. When the trust terminates, the assets in the trust revert to the donor or to individuals the donor wishes to benefit.

Life Insurance

When donating a life insurance policy, the present cash surrender value of the policy is deductible as a charitable contribution. If donors continue to pay premiums after their gift, the payments are also deductible. The UF Foundation employs planned giving experts who enable donors to maximize the impact of their gifts.