Ways to Give

Your recurring gift through a debit/credit card or bank account is a convenient, easy way to support USI. Commonly referred to as an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), this funding method allows you to save time and make a gift that works for your budget and schedule. When you enroll, your gift will be automatically transferred from your credit card or bank account.

Individuals use the EFT as an opportunity to establish a recurring gift - either monthly, quarterly or yearly. Most gifts are processed on or near the first of each month and will appear on your billing or bank statements. A minimum monthly gift of $5 is required to enroll in EFT.  

Transferring gifts of stock directly to the USI Foundation may enable you to avoid capital gains tax. Please contact your own advisor for more information.

Transferring Gifts of Stock
Arrange for an electronic stock transfer by having your broker or agent contact the Foundation accountant at (812) 465-1081 for up-to-date transfer instructions. 

Or: 

Mail your stock certificate without endorsing it, and mail - in a separate envelope - a signed stock power authorizing gift of stock to USI Foundation.  Mail to:  USI Foundation, 8600 University Blvd., Evansville, IN 47712

Or:

Deliver your endorsed stock certificate to Old National Trust, Old National Bank in Evansville.

Matching gifts can double your impact at USI. Companies large and small have established programs to match gifts made to colleges and universities by their employees, and in some cases a retiree or the spouse of an employee. Check with your company's Human Resources Department or Foundation for procedures to follow.

When you give to USI and submit a matching gift form, the USI Foundation credits you with your company’s contributions. This means your favorite causes benefit from additional funding and it increases your own giving power.

You can search the list of companies who frequently match gifts to the USI Foundation.

An endowment is a permanent, self-sustaining source of funding. This giving option allows for continuous support to any University program or scholarship. The name of an endowment is at your discretion.

The USI Foundation encourages a minimum endowment of $25,000. This amount can be a one-time gift or funded over a five-year period. Additionally, gifts through wills and estates can establish an endowment.

The gift made to establish the endowment forms the corpus (permanently restricted). The corpus is invested in accordance to the USI Foundation’s spending policies. An endowment will produce a full annual distribution within two to three years.

Below are distribution levels based on current spending policies:

• $25,000 endowment = $1,000 annual distribution
• $50,000 endowment = $2,125 annual distribution
• $100,000 endowment = $4,250 annual distribution
• $250,000 endowment = $10,600 annual distribution
• $500,000 endowment = $21,250 annual distribution
• $1 million endowment = $42,500 annual distribution

Additional gifts can be accepted to increase the amount of an endowment at any time.

A gift to support the University of Southern Indiana can be made through a will or estate plan, including life insurance policies. Commonly referred to as a planned or deferred gift, these gifts can ensure support of USI extends well into the future.

There are several ways to make a planned gift and USI Foundation staff will gladly provide detailed information. Certain planned gifts can provide income and/or tax saving benefits to the donor.

Examples include:

• Including the USI Foundation in your will or estate
• Including the USI Foundation as a beneficiary to your retirement plan or life insurance policy
• Creating a charitable gift annuity that will provide you with income during your lifetime
• Supporting USI and your family with a charitable remainder unitrust, charitable remainder annuity trust, or charitable lead trust

When planning a future gift to USI, please direct gifts to the University of Southern Indiana Foundation. 

Contact the USI Foundation at (812) 464-1918 for more information about planned giving. 

In December 2015, Congress reinstated a law that allows you to make a tax-free gift from your individual retirement account (IRA). Known as the IRA “charitable rollover,” this law no longer has an expiration date, so you are free to make annual gifts to the USI Foundation from your IRA any year well into the future.

The law allows individuals who have reached the age of 70 ½ and older the ability to transfer up to $100,000 from their IRA directly to a qualified charitable organization without being subject to income taxes on the distribution.

In December 2019, Congress also approved a federal budget with a provision increasing the age for mandatory withdrawal from retirement accounts to 72 – effective for people who turn 70 ½ on January 1, 2020 or afterward. However, anyone who is 70 ½ years of age or older can still withdraw money from retirement accounts tax free if the dollars are issued directly to charity.

The legislation does not permit direct transfers to charitable trusts, donor advised funds, charitable gift annuities or supporting organizations.

Information cited here is from the January 2020 newsletter published by The Fund Raising School, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indiana residents are eligible to take a tax credit for 50% of a gift up to a maximum of $200/individual or a maximum of $400/couple. You do not have to itemize to receive this credit, just file Schedule CC-40. The amount of a corporation’s credit is equal to 50 percent of the total amount given during the tax year. However, the credit may not exceed the lesser of a) 10 percent of the corporation’s adjusted gross income tax liability, or b) the amount of $1,000.