Did you know you can make a gift to Town & Gown and receive a lifetime income stream in exchange from Chapman University? It may seem hard to believe, but it’s the black and white letter of the law. Known as a charitable gift annuity, this can be a powerful way to support Town & Gown, take a charitable deduction for your taxes, and secure a lifetime income stream for you, or you and your spouse. Part of your income will even be tax-free! After the lifetime of the last income beneficiary, the remainder of the gift annuity will support Town & Gown.

The SECURE 2.0 Act in 2023 added a new twist to the charitable gift annuity. Once during your lifetime, you may fund a gift annuity through your traditional individual retirement account (IRA), while also fulfilling your required minimum distribution (RMD). This means that you get to reduce your taxable income while also setting up a lifetime income stream. After your lifetime, any remaining funds are added to the Town & Gown Endowed Scholarship. It’s a triple win!

Many of you remember Merry and Bill Berkowitz, life members of Town & Gown. Merry had an especially deep love for T&G, serving on the Board for many years and as President from 2005-2007. After Merry passed away, Bill chose to honor his late wife’s passion for T&G by creating a charitable gift annuity to support the organization Merry had served so well. Last year we received more than $50,000 from that charitable gift annuity to further the mission of Town & Gown. Their legacy will live on in every recipient of the Town & Gown Endowed Scholarship.

To learn more about charitable gift annuities and how you can benefit from them, contact me at ljacobs@chapman.edu or 714-628-7311. Without any obligation to you, I can create a personalized illustration for you to consider.

Town & Gown Legacy Circle

Members of the T&G Legacy Circle have been inspired to create a legacy gift to support Chapman University Town & Gown. If you’d like to talk to a Legacy Circle member, Marcia Cooley, Chair of the Legacy Circle Committee, is always happy to chat about the importance of legacy gifts and how meaningful it is to create your T&G legacy.

Inspire Your Legacy

Whether it’s a gift through a will, living trust, beneficiary designation, charitable trust, gift annuity or life insurance policy, legacy gifts provide a solid foundation for the future. To have a no-obligation conversation about your T&G legacy, contact us:

You can also take advantage of our many helpful resources, such as our free Planning Your Legacy guide, by visiting chapman.edu/legacy.