You can donate to CUNY Baccalaureate either by making a financial contribution or by including the program as a beneficiary in your trust, will, or life insurance.
Each spring, at Commencement, the Alumni Fund awards scholarships (usually in the amount of $500 each) to two or more graduating students who have been accepted to graduate school for the following fall. Some alumni have contributed larger amounts to have scholarships created in their name or the name of a loved one.
Examples include Abby Stein (’91) who started making $500 contributions in 2000 to celebrate her graduation from The Graduate Center with a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. Dr. Stein is now a professor in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at John Jay College.
Another alumna (who prefers anonymity) chose to mark the 10-year anniversary of her graduation by creating the Daniel E. Smith Scholarship for Returning Women, an annual $1,000 award. The scholarship is named for the alumna’s husband as a way of recognizing and thanking him for his encouragement and support when she returned to school.
To honor the memory of her mother, alumna Diane Brows, and her sister, Elyse Brows, started the Harriet Brows Scholarship, to assist students who have financial need and have already demonstrated a commitment to social change in some form.
For the first time in 2008, CUNY Baccalaureate alumnus Dan Daley, journalist and author, designated a $500 award to be given to an upcoming graduate in journalism.
Alumnus Albert Simic donated $2,000 for the Albert Simic Scholarship for Actors, available for the first time in Spring 2009 to either an incoming or current CUNY Baccalaureate student who is studying acting.
Donations to the CUNY Baccalaureate alumni appeal, which are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, not only help fund scholarships for current students as well as graduating seniors accepted into graduate-level programs, they also help defray the expenses of our GRE workshops, student and alumni networking events, discounts on commencement fees for students who might otherwise not be able to attend, and other related activities. Alumni are advised to take advantage of the matching programs at their jobs which can double or even triple the amount of their donation.
By Check or Online
There are two ways to send us your donation:
1. We accept checks made out to the “CUNY Baccalaureate Alumni Fund.”
2. You can make an online donation to CUNY Baccalaureate through The Graduate Center at: https://community.gc.cuny.edu/program_funds
After you select the amount of your donation, use the “Designation” pull-down menu and choose CUNY/BA.
Making a gift of appreciated stock can reduce or eliminate your capital gains taxes. Your tax bracket determines how much you will save in taxes. If publicly traded stocks, or mutual funds that you own for over one year are worth more than you paid for them, you may realize a tax savings by donating them to the CUNY Baccalaureate. Your income tax deduction is based on the security’s full fair market value at the time of the gift rather than on your lower purchase price. Stocks or mutual funds should be donated to The Graduate Center Foundation, For The Benefit Of The CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies.
The simplest way to make a planned gift to the CUNY Baccalaureate is through a bequest. There are different avenues for making bequests. Three popular ways are through a general bequest, contingency bequest and residual bequest.
Suggested Text for General Bequests: “I give, devise and bequeath to The Graduate Center Foundation, For The Benefit Of The CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, the sum of $__________ (or specify a percentage of the estate.)”
Suggested Text for Contingency Bequests: “If __________(insert the name of your heir) predeceases me or disclaims any interest in _________(describe the asset or portion of your estate), I give such property to The Graduate Center Foundation, For The Benefit Of The CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, for its general purposes.”
Suggested Text for Residuary Bequests: “I give, devise and bequeath to The Graduate Center Foundation, For The Benefit Of The CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, all or part of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate.”
This specialized area of charitable giving offers the contributor many benefits for a donation including guaranteed income, tax advantages, and solutions for retirement plans. You can use charitable remainder unitrusts, charitable lead trusts, and charitable gift annuities to support CUNY Baccalaureate. Your gift should be made to The Graduate Center Foundation, For The Benefit Of The CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies.
There are different types of tangible gifts that you can make to CUNY Baccalaureate such as art, real estate, rare books, or jewelry. The tax deductibility of the full fair market value will depend on the prospective use of the tangible property by the CUNY BA/BS Program.
Remember, your donation could be doubled or even tripled by matching funds made available by your employer. Ask about matching funds at your company’s business, community affairs, philanthropy, or human resources department. Retirees of some institutions may be eligible for this benefit, too. Simply obtain the matching funds form from your employer, put your name on it, and mail it to the CUNY Baccalaureate; the Program Office will take care of the details.
To request a “How to Make a Will That Works” brochure, please contact Sarah Fajardo at sfajardo@gc.cuny.edu.
For more information on making a donation of stock or mutual funds, planned giving, life income funds, charitable gift annuities, and gifts in kind, please contact the CUNY Graduate Center Development and Alumni Relations Office at 212.817.7130 or at develop@gc.cuny.edu.
