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Create a lasting story

When you make an endowed gift or planned gift to Wharton Center, you join like-minded people whose passion for the performing arts and arts education delivers crucial cultural capital for our community, forever.

Endowments

By giving to one of our endowment funds or creating one of your own, you’re investing in the future of the arts and arts education in our community, enabling us to sustain inspirational, accessible experiences.

With a gift of $50,000 or more, donors can create an endowment bearing their name to support their favorite activity. Currently Wharton Center has endowments supporting everything from arts education to musical theatre to classical music and jazz performances. Each endowment allows Wharton Center to provide programming that may not be possible without private support.

Planned or Estate Gifts

Wharton Center would be honored to be remembered as a part of your legacy. When you remember Wharton Center in your estate plan, you can fulfill philanthropic goals, reduce income taxes, avoid capital gains and estate taxes, retain a life income, increase spendable income, and/or reduce costs of estate settlement, all while enjoying the satisfaction of providing significant future financial support for Wharton Center designated precisely per your wishes.

Gifts from Will or Trust

Your gift to Wharton Center in your will or trust can be unrestricted or directed to a specific purpose. It can indicate a specific amount or a percentage of your estate or trust. It’s relatively simple to make a legacy gift to Wharton Center using the following language:

I give and devise to Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, the sum of $_______ dollars (or _______ state percentage of identified assets available for distribution) to be held, administered and used by the Board of Trustees to be directed to Wharton Center for Performing Arts Endowment Fund (AB33E) (or if named endowed fund has been established by the donor at Wharton Center, include name of fund and allocation code). I instruct that all my charitable gifts shall be made, to the extent possible, from property that constitutes “income in respect of a decedent” as that term is defined in the Internal Revenue Code.​

Make a gift for a Charitable Gift Annuity

A charitable gift annuity allows you to support Wharton Center while receiving fixed payments for life. This gift can enhance your financial security and provide a federal income tax charitable deduction.

Make a gift for a Charitable Remainder Trust

A charitable remainder trust funded by your estate provides you or other named individuals variable income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years and provide charitable income tax deductions. Learn more at msu.planmygift.org/charitable-remainder-trusts.

Make a gift from IRA Charitable Rollover

The IRA Charitable Rollover provides an excellent opportunity to make a gift during your lifetime from an asset subject to multiple levels of taxation if it remained in your taxable estate. You must be 70 ½ or older at the time of the gift. The gift, up to $100,000, is transferred directly from a traditional IRA account by your IRA administrator to Michigan State University/Wharton Center. The gift is not treated as income and subject to federal income taxes; is not considered a charitable deduction; and counts toward your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year.​

For additional information on estate planning or endowments, please contact Wharton Center’s development staff at 517-353-4640.