Planned Giving

Thank you for your interest in supporting Smart Museum of Art. Whether you are thinking about establishing an endowment or leaving a lasting legacy through a bequest, your generosity will have a transformative impact on our work—today and far into the future.

There are many ways to give that will benefit the Smart Museum while providing special advantages to you and your loved ones. Everyone’s goals are different, and we are ready to work with you and your financial planner to make sure that you feel confident in your decision.

Gifts that provide income

A charitable gift annuity may appeal to you if you are interested in making a gift to the Smart and would like the dependability of a fixed annual income. In exchange for a gift of $10,000 or more in cash or securities, the Smart will provide a fixed, guaranteed income to you and/or your spouse for life.

A charitable remainder trust is another way to plan for your future and that of the Smart. A gift of $100,000 or more in cash, securities or real estate allows you to establish a trust that will make variable payments to you and other income beneficiaries, if you wish, for life. The fact that payments from a charitable remainder trust have the potential to increase over time can serve as a useful hedge against inflation.

Future gifts

Making a bequest to the Smart is a simple way to leave a lasting legacy. Made with cash, securities, real or personal property, a charitable bequest is fully deductible for estate tax purposes. You may designate a specific sum or asset, provide for a fixed dollar amount or gift a residuary of your estate to the museum.

Designating the Smart as a beneficiary of a portion or all of your 401k, IRA or other retirement plan can be beneficial to your heirs as well as the Smart. Using a retirement account to make a gift to the Smart also frees up other assets that may not carry such burdensome tax consequences—such as cash and securities—to leave for children and other family members.

Contact

For more information on these options and other ways to support the Smart Museum, please contact:

 Smart Museum Development Office
773.702.2368
smart-development@uchicago.edu

Top: Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker, on view at the Smart Museum of Art.