2012 Year-End Giving Guidelines

Maximum tax benefits depend on timing. Here's how to complete your 2012 gift to Alabama School of Mathematics & Science by year end. AFTER 14 DECEMBER, you may prefer to make your gift online to avoid mailing or shipping delays and help assure your credit card gift is processed in time to count for 2012 tax purposes.

Your gift by check:

US Postal Service

• Date your check on or before Dec. 31, 2012.
• Mail via U.S. Postal Service with postmark on or before Dec. 31, 2012.
• Gift checks mailed via U.S. Postal Service with postmark and check date on or before Dec. 31, 2012 will be counted for 2012 regardless of when received at ASMS.

Other Delivery

• Gift checks not mailed by U.S. Postal Service are effective as of date received at ASMS.

The address for mailing, shipping, or hand-delivery of your check:

Alabama School of Math & Science
Development Office
1255 Dauphin St
Mobile, AL 36604

Questions about your gift by check? E-mail clancaster@asms.net or call 251-441-2120.

Your gift by credit card

The way you send your gift (mail/ship, phone, on-line) determines the deadline, since your credit card gift is effective for tax purposes on the date the card is charged (processed by gift accounting).

U.S. Postal Service and FedEx/UPS Shipping

• Deadline is 5 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on Monday, Dec. 30, 2012.
• Use ASMS Development address above.
• Important: Your credit card gift must be received by the 5 p.m., Dec. 26, 2012, deadline in order to be charged. The ASMS campus will be closed for most of the holidays and holiday mail will be processed only on December 27, 2012.

Giving

Gifts enable ASMS to provide a caring community, a challenging academic program, and a wealth of opportunities in the classroom. They also ensure that our school has a talented, dedicated faculty and the best facilities and resources available. Gifts of stock, matching gifts from your employers, payments by VISA or MasterCard, and bank drafts are accepted when contributing to the Annual Fund. We also accept checks made payable to ASMS Foundation. Gifts of cash are certainly easiest. Bank draft is one way to give cash. We encourage all of our donors to set ASMS as a payee in the bill payment section of your checking account and designate a monthly amount to give to ASMS. You never have to write a check, locate an envelope, or worry about postage.

If you would like to give now, Email Caroline Lancaster at clancaster@asms.net or phone 251-441-2120.

Checks

Checks should be made payable to ASMS Foundation and mailed to:
Office of Development
Alabama School of Math and Science
1255 Dauphin Street
Mobile, AL 36604

Credit Card

Credit card gifts can be set up monthly or for a one-time gift. Send us:

• Your name
• Credit card type: VISA or MC only
• Credit card number
• Expiration date
• Phone Number associated with the card
• Amount of gift

Matching Gifts

Matching Gifts from corporations oftentimes can double your gift! Many corporations will match their employees' contributions to ASMS. Employees simply need to check with their company's Personnel Office.

Planned Gifts

Planned gifts greatly enhance the School's endowment and assure a strong financial future for ASMS. Listed below are options a donor might consider in making a planned gift to ensure educational excellence for generations to come:
Life Insurance Policy

A life insurance policy is a good way to make a gift, which will provide significant results at a future date. Premium payments are tax-deductible if the School is designated as both owner and beneficiary of the policy. There are many ways in which life insurance policies no longer needed for family protection may be used to make a contribution, all of which provide tax benefits. Your attorney, accountant, or tax advisor can provide additional information as to how these general rules apply to your specific situation.

Appreciated Securities

Appreciated securities are another vehicle by which to give and which can offer the donor two significant advantages. First, you avoid paying capital gains on the increased value of the stock gifted. Second, you receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market of the stock when the gift is made. In order to do this, your stock generally must have been held long-term for capital gains purposes (more than twelve months). When making a gift of appreciated securities, the donor gets a charitable deduction for the market value of the gift and capital gains tax which would otherwise be payable upon sale of the assets. To receive these benefits, securities must be transferred to ASMS prior to sale.
Charitable Remainder Trust assets are placed in trust for ASMS and generate annual income for the donor or a family member for a fixed term or for life. The donor receives a current income tax deduction equal to a portion of the value of assets transferred to the trust.

Charitable Lead Trusts

Charitable Lead Trusts are the reverse of the remainder trust. The income generated from assets placed in trust is gifted to ASMS for a period of years. The trust assets are preserved for the donor's family.

Bequests

Bequests: including the school in your will is an effective way to make a gift larger than what might be possible during your lifetime. Provisions for charitable gifts made under the terms of the donor's will leave a lasting legacy.