There are a variety of ways to make a charitable contribution to Mesa State College, some of which can help you plan for your own financial future.

How to make a gift to Mesa State College

• Making a Gift by Check
  Checks should be sent to:
  Mesa State Foundation
  1450 North 12th Street
  Grand Junction, CO 81501
  
  
• Making a Gift by Credit Card
  Mesa State College accepts VISA and MasterCard. To make a contribution by credit card over the telephone, please contact Katrina Ingleson at 970-248-1902. Or, enter MSC's secure donation site, and complete the online form. You will be invoiced for your donation.
  

Enter the dollar amount of your donation and click to process the transaction.

• Matching Gifts
  You may be able to double or triple your gift to Mesa State College through your employer's matching gift program. Companies that participate in these programs will provide their employees with matching gift forms to complete and include with their contribution or pledge form.
  
  
• Gifts of Appreciated Securities
  Gifts of appreciated securities are a tax effective way to support Mesa State College. When you donate appreciated stock to MSC, you can avoid capital gain taxes that you would be responsible for if you sold the asset. Additionally, if you have owned the securities for more than one year, you can also receive an income tax charitable deduction for the fair market value. These benefits make donating appreciated securities a favorable alternative to giving cash.
  
  
• Real and Personal Property
  Land or other real estate may be given to the College as an outright gift or used as an asset within a charitable trust. Personal property, such as artwork or rare books, can also be contributed. Since it is sometime difficult to determine the College's needs for donated personal property, each case will be reviewed individually.
  
  
• PLANNED GIFTS
  Planned gifts benefit both the donor and the College. These gifts, which can be planned through your financial advisors and the College staff, provide significant benefits including tax deductions, avoidance of capital gains taxes and increased income.
  
  
• Bequests
  Bequests, the most common way for donors to provide for the future of Mesa State College, offer several advantages. A donor may be able to make a larger gift than otherwise possible, the estate may save on estate taxes, and the arrangement can be made revocable, allowing changes as needed. You may designate a bequest for a specific purpose or it can be placed into an unrestricted fund. An unrestricted bequest provides general support for Mesa State and allows the College to use the gift where it is most needed at the time. You can make a bequest to MSC by preparing a new will or revising your existing one.
  
  
• Life Insurance
  You may consider transferring ownership of a life insurance policy to Mesa State College. It is also possible to purchase a new policy and transfer ownership to the College. Either gift will generate a charitable income tax deduction approximately equal to the cash surrender value of the policy on the date of the gift. In addition, any premium payments that are made on behalf of Mesa State College entitle the donor to additional charitable income tax deductions for the amount of the premiums. You may also name MSC as the beneficiary (not owner) of a new or existing policy. This would allow for revocation of the gift should circumstances change. If completed, the eventual gift to the College would qualify as a federal estate tax deduction.
  
  
• Charitable Remainder Trust
  A charitable remainder trust is an irrevocable gift that provides specified fixed annual income for the donor, or, someone the donor designates, for life or a specific time period. When the trust is established, you select an annual payout rate, at a fixed dollar amount, and designate a trustee. At the conclusion of the income payments, or death of the last beneficiary, the principal is distributed to the College.
  
  
• Charitable Lead Trust
  A charitable lead trust is an irrevocable trust that designates Mesa State College as the income beneficiary for a specified number of years, or, for the life of the named person. Upon completion of that period, the trust assets may revert to the donor or pass to persons designated to receive them. In establishing a charitable lead trust, you may choose a unitrust, which pays an annual income equal to a percentage of the value of the principal, or an annuity trust, which pays a fixed dollar amount. The donor selects the percentage or the fixed dollar amount when the trust is created.
  
  
• Charitable Gift Annuity
  A charitable gift annuity is a contract between a donor and Mesa State College. This is an irrevocable arrangement in which the College pays a guaranteed lifetime income to the donor, and, if designated, another annuitant, at a rate based on the age(s) of the annuitant(s). The charitable gift annuity is a way of reducing income taxes, since it generates a charitable income tax deduction in the year in which it was created, and a portion of the annual income received by the donor may be tax-free. In addition, assets contributed via the charitable gift annuity usually avoid federal estate taxes.
  
  For more information on these and other giving vehicles, please contact John Marshall, Director of Development at 970-248-1902 or email at marshall@mesastate.edu.