Establish a gift in your will or living trust
Ways to make a will or living trust gift
See it in action
When Chris Conner, BA’06, MA’10, studied sociology at the IU Indianapolis School of Liberal Arts, the faculty were invaluable to his success. “They gradually pulled me into the life of the university and helped me get jobs,” he said. “They helped me go from feeling like an outsider to feeling like I belonged in the department and in this field.” When Chris lost his mother and father within the span of a few years, his professors were there to help him finish his master’s degree.
While settling his parents’ estate, the lawyer encouraged him to create a will. Having no spouse or children, he chose to establish a gift for his nephew and direct a percentage of his estate to IU Indy Sociology—a gift designed to help students complete their master’s degrees.
I feel really good about the decision,” Chris emphasized. “I know how important it is for alumni to give back to the university to help the next generation of students, and this is a way I can do that now.
Your will controls most property, but not all
Keep in mind that not all property passes under your will. For example, a life insurance policy, IRA, or other retirement or financial accounts pass directly to named beneficiaries.
Read about how to donate those assets to IU using a simple beneficiary designation
Let us help
The Office of Gift Planning Services is happy to answer your questions and provide more information.
If you’ve already made a gift to IU from your IRA, let us know. You might qualify for Arbutus Society membership!