{"id":342,"date":"2025-09-15T16:20:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T16:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/town-and-gown\/2025\/09\/15\/town-gown-legacy-circle-3\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T17:41:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T17:41:18","slug":"town-gown-legacy-circle-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/town-and-gown\/2025\/09\/15\/town-gown-legacy-circle-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Town & Gown Legacy Circle – Make a Gift; Get an Income!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s the black and white letter of the law. Known as a charitable gift annuity<\/a>, this can be a powerful way to support Town & Gown, take a charitable deduction for your taxes, and<\/u> 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.<\/p>\n

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)<\/a>, 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\u2019s a triple win!<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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

Town & Gown Legacy Circle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Members of the T&G Legacy Circle<\/a> have been inspired to create a legacy gift to support Chapman University Town & Gown. If you\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n

Inspire Your Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n