Charitable Remainder Trusts and the Endowment Investment Option
Duke is one of only a handful of universities that has been given permission by the IRS to invest charitable remainder trusts with the university's endowment assets. A charitable remainder trust is a form of life income gift, which means it provides an annual income to you and/or your loved ones.
Actual year-to-year performance varies, of course, and future performance cannot be predicted, but over the ten-year period ending June 30, 2009, the university's endowment assets earned an average of 10.1 percent per year – a cumulative increase in value that has outperformed many peer institutions. Learn more about DUMAC and historical investment performance. (Note that DUMAC publishes June 30 fiscal year-end results, whereas charitable remainder trust payments are based on calendar year-end results. )
Donors who choose the "endowment investment option" generally establish a charitable remainder unitrust, which is a form of life income gift that provides an income based on the changing market value of the trust assets. Donors who are looking for a fixed income stream may be interested in a charitable remainder annuity trust or a charitable gift annuity. The staff in Duke's Office of Gift Planning can help you determine which gift vehicle is best for your particular situation.
When you create a life income gift, you receive an immediate income tax deduction that can be used over as many as six consecutive tax years, and you can select the school or program area at Duke that ultimately will be supported by the gift. Learn more.