What is Legacy Awareness Month?

In honor of October being National Estate Planning Awareness Month, beginning on Oct. 1, the University of Utah is kicking off Legacy Giving Awareness Month. The university has a long history of honoring the legacy of those individuals who have included gifts from their estate plans. Whether it be a gift from a will to establish a scholarship, or beneficiary designation from a retirement account to support research, legacy gifts have been an integral part of the university’s history since its founding.

How do legacy gifts help the University of Utah?

These gifts help the university fulfill its mission to serve its students, the people of Utah, and the world by disseminating knowledge through teaching, research, and community outreach. Legacy gifts help the university fund scholarships, study abroad programs, faculty support, research, athletics, health care programs, hospitals and clinics, cultural and performing arts programs, libraries, museums, the arboretum, public broadcasting, or community outreach programs.

Donor Stories

 

College of Science alum leaves meaningful legacy gift

George C. Elliott, PhD’81 in Biology, had a transformative student experience at the U. Along...

Social Work alum leaves treasured legacy gift to honor Aunt and mentor

With $5,000, Robert “Bob” Browning Andersen (MSW 1965) quietly established an endowed scholarship in 2005...

U alum leaves generous legacy gift for English majors

U alum, Deborah Lee Prescott (B.A. ’79; M.A. ’80), has a planned legacy gift to...

Bennion Center legacy gift inspires students towards a life of impact and service

Bennion Center legacy gift donor Barbara Stubblefield continues to have a positive impact on the...

Marriott Library to receive rare and invaluable legacy book collection

Raymond Compton‘s book-loving grandparents ushered him into an adoration of literature early on in his...

Husband establishes pharmacy scholarship in honor of late wife

Both Katrina Phillips and her husband, John Phillips, graduated from the University of Utah College...

Philanthropically-inclined Honors College alum just keeps on giving

Paul Whitby, alum of the Honors College (class of ’68), and his wife Karen have...

Professor donates to future Honors students with legacy gift

Randy Dryer, an alum of the Honors College, is a first-generation college student from Ogden,...

Athletics to receive massive legacy gift to support women’s sports

The University of Utah Department of Athletics is grateful to acknowledge a generous planned gift...

Legacy gift ensures future generations to benefit from PBS Utah programs and services

Committed to bringing people from diverse cultural traditions together, Cheryl and Robert Marzec appreciate that...

College of Education alum shows gratitude for father-like professor with a legacy gift

Each of us, in the varied paths we take in our adult lives, can trace...

Art collector leaves legacy with an extensive art collection and funding to UMFA

Conrad Buff (American, 1886-1975) Canyonlands, ca 1935, oil on masonite, 34 x 51 inches, Purchased...

CSBS alum’s generous legacy gift supports students in perpetuity

Eugene “Gene” Andreasen (U of U, B.A. 1948, Psychology) was an insurance consultant for Prudential...

The legacy gift that keeps on giving at DESB

Barbara J. Roberts was so proud of the Legacy she knew she could leave at...

Architecture + Planning Alum establishes generous legacy gift in gratitude for experiences at the U.

This past spring, Demetrius Kourtides was featured in Humans of the U as a 2021...

Former scholarship recipient pays it forward at College of Mines & Earth Sciences

Dr. Donald D. Runnells and his wife Erika A. Runnells met at the University of...

A Family Affair: Preserving the Legacy of a Beloved Father and Renowned Composer

On the surface, the four children of Leroy and Naomi Robertson share little in common....

Passionate College of Health alum leaves legacy for the future of recreational therapy

When Maurine “Sydney” Post started school at the University of Utah in 1962, tuition was...

Who can give?

Everyone is welcome and invited to give.

Often people think, “I don’t have an estate; I can’t make that kind of contribution.” However, people from all walks of life can make a legacy gift—not just the wealthy.

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What can I give?

When most people think of making a gift, they think of writing a check or using a credit card. Legacy gifts are usually made from people’s assets, such as: cash, securities, real estate, business interests, artwork, intellectual property, retirement plan assets, insurance policies, investment accounts, and oil, gas or mineral interests. You can make a gift from just about any type of asset you own.

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John R. Park

"In as much as my life work has been devoted to the educational interest of my state and mindful of its future welfare, I hereby direct that the whole of my estate shall be transferred and given to the University of Utah."

First President of the University of Utah
Last will and testament | October 6, 1900

The John R. Park Legacy Society

Through the John R. Park Legacy Society, the University of Utah recognizes individuals who make known their gift intentions through a will or living trust, or some other form of legacy gift. Making you a member of the society is the university’s way to thank you and ensure that your gift can be used as you intend. With your gift, you join an illustrious group of people who have made a similar commitment to the long-term success of the University of Utah, its faculty and students.

How do I make a legacy gift?

There really is no single way to make a legacy gift. The approach you choose will depend on many factors, such as your goals and objectives, family situation, and stage in life. For example, you can:

• Make a single, lump sum or series of gifts during your lifetime.

• Make a gift that provides income for yourself or for a loved one now, then benefits the university in the future.

• Make a gift that takes effect after your death. This can be a specific dollar amount, a percentage, of or remainder from your will, trust or other asset (such as your retirement fund, investment account or insurance policy).

 

Types of legacy gifts include:

• Bequest through a will or living trust

• Charitable gift annuity

• Beneficiary designation on retirement plan assets, brokerage accounts, or donor advised funds

• Charitable remainder trust

• Outright gift of or remainder interest in a personal residence or property

• Gift of a life insurance policy

 

Download Bequest Intent Form

Need more information?

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