The Franklin University Switzerland community extends well beyond graduation. Each year a graduating class leaves the Franklin campus and the beautiful surroundings of the Ticino region. While those students may no longer be here on campus, we hope they remain active and involved in the future of the school. Involvement can be through sharing of their natural gifts or through philanthropic support.
Private donations from Franklin University Switzerland alumni, friends, parents and others provide the margin of excellence at Franklin. Philanthropic support can help ensure the foundation for the school through enhanced infrastructure, buildings and learning environments. Additionally, private support through scholarships, professorships, library acquisitions, lab furnishings and the latest in technology helps improve the quality of a Franklin education. Private contributions make a difference by helping provide the support we need to maintain an international reputation of excellence.
There are numerous options for philanthropic support of the institution. See the following sections for additional information on the various giving options. Please contact the Office of Advancement with any questions about giving to Franklin.
Checks
For our American contributors, a check is one of the easiest and most commonly used ways of supporting Franklin University Switzerland. Make your check payable to Franklin University Switzerland and mail it to:
Franklin University Switzerland (Tax ID number 23-7075-717) Attn: Annual Giving The Chrysler Building 405 Lexington Ave. 26th Floor New York, NY 10174
Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs)
An EFT, or bank draft, is a convenient way to support Franklin University Switzerland. Most of our European supporters prefer to make their gifts in this way. For more information about transferring funds electronically, please email advancement@fus.edu.
Corporate Matching Gifts
Many corporations participate in matching the gifts of their employees. Some double or triple each dollar contributed. Your company’s human resource department can provide details and the matching gift form to include with your gift.
Stock Gifts
Gifts of appreciated investments can be a great way to support Franklin University Switzerland at a lower than cash cost. For example, ten years ago you purchased 100 shares of XYZ Corporation for 100 Swiss francs. With stock splits and reinvestment you now have 250 shares valued at 150 Swiss francs. You can transfer ownership of all or a portion of the shares and in most countries you will avoid having to pay taxes on the gains that were made. Your gift costs less than if you had given cash, and Franklin University Switzerland can sell the stock and apply the proceeds to the project of your choice. It is almost always to your advantage to transfer appreciated securities directly rather than selling them and donating cash. Check with a tax professional in your jurisdiction to verify tax treatment of your gift.
For more information on making stock gifts, please refer to the Stock Transfer Instructions.
Gifts in Kind
Works of art, rare books, antique furnishings and other tangible personal property can help support education and greatly enhance the quality of the Franklin University Switzerland experience. It is important to note that when gifts of this nature are given to Franklin, a gift receipt outlining a simple description of the gift will be provided. It is the responsibility of the donor to attribute and verify a valuation for the gift.
For more information on making gifts in kind, please contact: the Office of Advancement.
Gifts of Real Estate
Contributions of real estate such as a residence, vacation home, farm, ranch, commercial property or land to Franklin University Switzerland are accepted, subject to certain restrictions. Gifts of land can be given outright, as a gift of a remainder or future interest, or through a charitable trust agreement.
Usually, Franklin University Switzerland accepts gifts of real estate if no restrictions are placed on selling the property or if the property can be of direct or indirect use by the school. A donor can also transfer title of a personal residence to Franklin University Switzerland and retain the right to live in or use the property for life. After the death of the donor or the surviving spouse, the property transfers to Franklin University Switzerland. If the value of the property has declined since its original purchase, it would be better to sell the property for the reduced value and contribute the proceeds.
Another charitable property gift mechanism is the bargain sale in which the donor sells property to Franklin University Switzerland for less than its full fair market value and deducts the difference as a charitable contribution.
For more information on gifts of real estate, please contact: the Office of Advancement.
Endowments
Endowed gifts are designed to continue providing benefits for many years into the future. The gift is not spent immediately but instead is invested in a diversified portfolio of investments. Each year the account is evaluated and a portion of the earnings is used to fund particular programs or projects (for example, a scholarship) and the remaining portion of the earnings is added to the principal of the endowment. An endowment is a great way to link your legacy with our future forever.
For more information on endowments please contact the Office of Advancement.
Planned Gifts
Beneficiary Designation
One of the easiest ways to make a deferred gift is to simply designate Franklin University Switzerland, Inc. (for US donors) or Franklin University Switzerland (for all donors outside the US) as the beneficiary of an account. It could be an investment account, mutual fund, savings account or retirement account.
IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution
For donors 70 ½ years or older, there may be opportunities to take advantage of one's IRA to make tax-beneficial charitable gifts to Franklin University Switzerland. One can direct up to $105,000 per calendar year to eligible charities or non-profits, including Franklin. This results in lowering one's taxable income, and also counting towards one's Required Minimum Distribution, while also supporting Franklin's mission. Qualified charitable distributions can be made towards the Franklin Fund, pledge payments or specific causes.
Benjamin Franklin Society (Legacy or Bequest Giving)
The Benjamin Franklin Society recognizes those who have included Franklin University Switzerland in their estate plans. These gifts through bequests enable Franklin to enhance infrastructure, buildings, and learning environments. They also support scholarships, endowments, faculty, the library, and more.
More information on Legacy or Bequest Giving can be found here.
Retirement Plans
A smart investor who starts his or her retirement savings plan at an early age often finds (regardless of the country) that complicated regulations make it difficult to withdraw the funds without severe tax consequences. Someone already considering a gift to Franklin University Switzerland may choose this type of asset for that reason. For more information on how to make a gift of a retirement plan, please contact the Office of Advancement.
Life Estate
Donors can enter into a life estate agreement with Franklin University Switzerland. In such agreements, the donor gifts certain properties (such as his or her house) to an organization like Franklin University Switzerland and then retains the right to use the property during his or her lifetime. The maintenance, insurance, repairs, taxes and other expenses are retained by the donor but after death or a specified period of time the designated gift becomes the property of the organization. In the United States a donor is entitled to a current charitable tax deduction based on the present value of remainder interest in the gifted property. Donors from others countries should consult their tax advisors to see if a gift of a retained life estate would qualify for any tax advantages.
Gift Annuities
A charitable gift annuity is a contract between Franklin University Switzerland and the donor whereby the donor makes an initial payment of cash or marketable securities to Franklin University Switzerland and the University agrees to pay the donor an annuity for the rest of his or her lifetime. If you are interested in establishing a gift annuity, please contact the Office of Advancement.
Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRT) and Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts (CRAT)
A charitable remainder trust is established when a donor irrevocably transfers money or securities to a trustee who invests the assets to pay an income to the donor or others chosen by the donor for life or for a period of years. At the end of the beneficiaries’ life or lives or the designated term of years, the remaining trust assets are distributed to Franklin University Switzerland. Annuity trusts provide US taxpayers the tax advantages of current contributions with the security of a fixed, lifetime income, generally for the donors and their spouses. The agreed-upon annual payments remain unchanged regardless of how the investments perform. Minimum: Due to custodial and tax preparation fees, it generally is not feasible to create a CRT with less than $100,000. For more information regarding the creation of a CRAT please contact the Office of Advancement.
Charitable Remainder Unitrusts (CRUTs)
A Charitable Remainder Unitrust or CRUT is a legal trust designed to receive assets (usually appreciated investments or real property) from a donor. A designated trustee (usually a bank, investment firm or attorney) is responsible for investing the general assets of the trust in a manner that would be considered prudent by both the donor and the remainder organization. The trust is designed to make quarterly, semi-annual or annual payments to the donor or others. Payments are a fixed percentage (at least 5%) of the annually appraised value of the assets in the trust. Thus, if the value of the assets increases, so too does the payment—and vice-versa. Payments are usually made for life, lives or for a period of years. If paid for a period of years the maximum number of years cannot exceed 20. If a married couple is making the contribution the payments are usually established to pay until the last of the two is deceased. At the death of the last income beneficiary or at the end of the fixed term of years, the money remaining in the trust is distributed to Franklin University Switzerland to fund the program or project specified in the trust document or through written gift agreements.
The information on this website is not intended as legal, financial, or tax advice. Please consult an attorney, financial advisor, or tax advisor in your planning.