Gifts That Cost You Nothing Now
Gifts in a Will and Gifts by Beneficiary Designation are two easy ways to make gifts that will have an impact for generations to come — and they don’t cost anything now.
Gifts in a Will
A gift in your will is one of the easiest ways to ensure future problem-solvers have the resources they need to address society’s greatest challenges long into the future.
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Achieve your legacy of global impact with these benefits for you:
NO COST
Costs you nothing now to give in this way.
FLEXIBLE
You can alter your gift or change your mind at any time and for any reason.
LASTING IMPACT
Your gift will create your legacy of strengthening the RPI community.
4 simple, “no-cost-now” ways to give in your will
General gift
Leaves a gift of a stated sum of money in your will or living trust. For example, you might decide to leave each of your grandchildren $10,000. It’s considered to be ‘general’ because it doesn’t specify from where the money comes.
Residual gift
Specific gift
Contingent gift
Gifts by Beneficiary Designation
It’s easy to put your bank accounts, retirement funds, savings bonds, and more to use in service of creativity, science, and technology — and it costs nothing now.
By naming RPI as a beneficiary of these assets, you power the future of higher education. Your gift impacts people of all backgrounds through RPI and becomes your personal legacy to the world.
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Reduce or eliminate taxes on retirement assets
Reduce or avoid probate fees
No cost to you now
Create your legacy with RPI
To name RPI as a beneficiary of your retirement plan, contact your administrator to see whether a change of beneficiary form must be completed.
How to Change a Beneficiary Designation
Login to your account or request a Change of Beneficiary Form from your custodian (the business holding your money or assets).
Follow the links to change your beneficiary or fill out the form.
Be sure to spell the name of our organization properly: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Include our tax identification number: 14-1340095
Save or submit your information online or return your Change of Beneficiary Form.
Types of Gifts
A Gift of Retirement Funds (beneficiary of your retirement plan)
You can simply name RPI as a beneficiary of your retirement plan to create your legacy of global impact.
A gift of funds remaining in your bank accounts, brokerage accounts or certificate of deposit (CD)
This is one of the easiest gifts to give and one of the most useful in accomplishing what you want – supporting our students and faculty. The next time you visit your bank, you can name Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Tax ID: 14-1340095) as the beneficiary of a checking or savings bank account, a certificate of deposit (CD), or a brokerage account. When you do, you’ll take a powerful step toward impacting students and the world for generations to come.
Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) residuals
What remains in a donor-advised fund is governed by the contract you completed when you created your fund. When you name RPI as a “successor” of your account or a portion of your account value, you build the future of RPI as the premier science and engineering university.
Savings Bonds
If you have bonds that have stopped earning interest and you plan to redeem them, you might owe income tax on the appreciation. That could result in your heirs receiving only a fraction of the value of the bonds in which you invested. Since RPI is a tax-exempt institution, naming us as a beneficiary means that 100% of your gift will go toward our shared mission of groundbreaking innovation, bold ideas, and enduring impact.
Complimentary Planning Resources are Just a Click Away!
Creative Ways to Make a Major Impact
Our team is here to help
Our experienced team is here to help you…
- Learn about special projects that align with your interests.
- Structure a donation that maximizes benefits for you and your loved ones.
- Stay up to date on how your gift is used.
- And more!