There are almost as many variations on ways to make a donation as there are needs to be met. Explore this section to discover new ways to make a gift that also take into consideration your personal circumstances and the needs of your heirs.

Outright Gift
Support MEES students and graduate research with a direct deposit to the MEES Graduate Student Fund, the Directors Fund, and the Wells-MEES Student Fund by CLICKING HERE.

Will Your Values Live On?
Establishing an endowment fund not only offers ongoing support for our charitable organization, but it also provides tax benefits and a public memorial for the donor. Consider establishing an endowment fund to ensure our future in this great way. 

How It Works
An endowment program is simply the time-honored method of allocating certain gifts to an investment fund. This fund is invested to earn income each year, and as the principal grows, so does the income. The fund income is used to support us, but the principal always remains invested in order to perpetuate the fund. When you make a gift to our endowment fund, it can be outright or deferred. Either way, your gift can turn into a legacy of annual gifts long into the future.

Suppose you'd like to make sure we receive $1,000 every year after your lifetime. Let's say we spend 5 percent of our endowment each year. This doesn't mean the fund earns a total return of only 5 percent, only that we spend that amount; we will reinvest the difference to offset inflation. To calculate the amount needed to perpetuate your gift, divide the annual gift amount, $1,000, by the amount called for in the spending policy, 5 percent, and you get $20,000. So, contributing just $20,000 can continue the $1,000 annual gift indefinitely!

If the value of the endowment fund grows beyond the spending amount, so does the income. For example, with a total return of 10 percent in one year and with only a 5 percent spending rate, the other 5 percent is reinvested. By the second year, the value of the fund is 5 percent higher, or $21,000, and the "gift" from the fund is $1,050.

The Possibilities
Endowment funds ensure the future of our mission and enhance the quality of our opportunities for service. They also allow you to leave a legacy with us.

Please contact the MEES Graduate Program Office at 301-405-6938, or via e-mail (mees@umd.edu), to determine minimum gift amounts associated with this type of gift.

Make a Memorial Gift
Establishing a memorial is a twofold gesture. First, you honor a loved one or yourself. Second, your charitable gift serves as an endorsement of our good works. 

Here are just a few of the ways people have used memorial gifts to honor important people and organizations in their lives:

  •  An Iowa woman created a veterinary scholarship in honor of the two veterinarians who lovingly cared for her cats for many years.

  • A New York couple funded a city park in remembrance of their son, who died at age 21.

  • Members of an Alabama YMCA camp constructed a chapel on the camp grounds in memory of four young counselors who were killed in a car-train collision.

Aside from the emotional rewards that a memorial gift brings, you may receive significant financial benefits from your contribution depending on the type of gift, including:

  • Income and capital gains tax savings

  • Reduced estate taxes

Many methods can be used to create memorials. Common methods include outright gifts and gifts made through a will or trust. Other alternatives, however, are also effective, such as through a life insurance policy or a gift upon death from an IRA or retirement plan.

Charitable organizations honor memorial gifts in many ways, such as associating an honoree's name with a report or program, or inscribing it on a plaque. Grants, scholarships and prizes to deserving individuals or causes could also be awarded in memory of the person. For a larger gift, his or her name could appear on a room, auditorium or building.

The Honor Is Yours
You may feel reluctant to condition your gift upon personal recognition. Yet allowing us to use your name or the name of a loved one can inspire philanthropy in others and further a cause that's important to you.

To make certain your gift or future bequest will receive proper recognition, we invite you to meet with our representative to discuss your wishes.

Please contact the MEES Graduate Program Office at 301-405-6938, or via e-mail (mees@umd.edu), for more information. 

Bequests
Learn how to help others and us by using one of the most popular and simplest ways to make a gift. Contact us.

Charitable Gift Annuities
Make a donation and, in turn, receive a fixed annuity payment each year for life. Contact us. 

Charitable Remainder Trusts
In the right circumstances, this plan can increase your income, reduce your taxes, unlock appreciated investments, rid you of investment worries and ultimately provide very important support. Contact us.

Charitable Lead Trusts
Make a donation now while reducing the tax burden for your heirs in the future. Contact us. 

All photography featured on the MEES website are property of MEES Faculty/Students. MEES has been granted permission to display these images. For more information, contact the MEES Office.