There are many ways to give to Ranken.
- Current gifts (such as cash, credit card, stocks)
- Deferred gifts (bequests, remainder trusts, life insurance)
- In-kind gifts
Current and in-kind gifts are available for immediate use by the College whereas deferred gifts (sometimes referred to as estate gifts or planned gifts) occur at some future time—typically when a person’s estate is in the process of being settled.
Most contributions fall into three basic types of gift designations:
- Restricted gifts to benefit a specific program (such as automotive, electrical, others) or purpose (scholarships, equipment purchases)
- Unrestricted or general purpose gifts can be used wherever the College needs them most.
- Endowment gifts where the principal is invested and the income only is used by the College per your written intentions.
A member of the Development Office staff is available to assist you with your questions during the process. Contact Us.
Current Gifts
Cash gifts (checks or money order) are the easiest and most direct way to give to Ranken and are fully deductible for individuals who itemize their federal income tax return. For your convenience, there are several ways to make a cash gift to Ranken:
Mail your check or money order made payable to Ranken Technical College to the following address:
Ranken Technical College
Development Office
4431 Finney Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63113
Please be sure to designate how you would like your gift to be used in the Memo portion of the check, in a brief note accompanying your gift or by completing a Contribution Form and mailing it with your check.
Online or Credit Card Gifts
Online contributions offer an easy and secure way to make a gift to Ranken. Our secure site insures that your credit card information, along with all of the other information you submit, is processed in a safe and protected environment.
However, if you prefer to make a gift in a manner other than credit card or online, please call the Development Office (314) 286-4865 and we can assist you. Of course, you can always complete the Contribution Form and mail it to us. You will need to include the type of credit card (Visa, Master Card or Discover Card), the account number, security code, expiration date, cardholder address and other information.
As a donor your privacy is important to us. You may review our privacy and confidentiality policies here https://www.ranken.edu/development/giving-ranken/privacy-confidentiality.
Monthly Giving to Ranken
You can easily set up a recurring gift to Ranken (monthly, semi-annually or annually) by using one of the following payment methods: mail, online or credit card. Or send us a Contribution Form indicating the frequency you wish to give and we will send you appropriate reminders and/or business reply envelopes for making a recurring gift to the College.
Matching Gifts
Corporate matching gifts are a great way to maximize your personal contribution and increase the impact of your gift. By taking advantage of a company’s matching gift benefit, you may be able to double or even triple the amount of a contribution.
Each company has its own set of guidelines so please be sure to check with your Human Resources Department for details. Most procedures are very simple:
- Request a Matching Gift Form from your company.
- Complete the form and mail it in along with your check.
- Ranken will verify your gift and mail the form back to your company.
- Matching gifts generally take six to ten weeks to be processed and sent to the College.
Matching gifts are processed and credited as a company contribution. However, the amount will be added to your donation for recognition purposes.
Mail your check and Matching Gift Form to the following address:
Ranken Technical College
Development Office
4431 Finney Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63113
Matching Gift Companies
These are a few of the companies that have made matching gifts to Ranken in the past five years and there are many more. Company policies do change so please contact your human resources department regarding the availability of this benefit. If your company offers this benefit, please ask for a matching gifts form and mail it to Ranken along with your check.
- Aetna
- Afton Chemical Corporation
- Anheuser-Busch InBev
- AT&T
- Boeing Company
- Cingular Wireless
- Citibank, N.A.
- ConocoPhillips
- Cooper Industries
- Covidien
- Elsevier
- Emerson
- Energizer Holdings, Inc.
- FM Global
- General Motors Corporation
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Monsanto Fund
- Pfizer, Inc.
- Piper Jaffray
- State Farm
Donating Equipment and Supplies
Ranken is in constant need of equipment, tools and supplies for our five technical Divisions:
- Automotive
- Construction
- Electrical
- Information Technology
- Manufacturing
Please visit again since we will soon have a complete listing of specific items that are needed by each program.
Donating Real Estate and Vehicles
Real Estate
Gifts of real estate are accepted by the College but they must go through a due diligence process before a final decision is made to accept the property. Please contact the Development Office to inquire about this option.
Cars & Other Personal Property
Ranken will gladly accept donations of cars or other personal property. You can donate your vehicle directly to the College or via our partner, www.donateacar.com.
Important: Please contact the Development Office regarding all donations of personal property to insure the items can be used or sold for the benefit of the College.
Donating Securities
Appreciated Securities: Stocks and Bonds
Donating appreciated securities is an excellent way to make a contribution and it can offer tax benefits as well. Before doing anything, please contact the Development Office so we can give you the proper procedures for transferring your securities. We will also need to know the name of the stock and the number of shares you intend to contribute and when you plan to initiate the transfer.
Donating Securities Held by Your Broker
In order to make a gift of Depository Trust Company (DTC)-eligible appreciated securities to Ranken, you will need to notify your broker in writing. Transfers should be made to Ranken Technical College via our US Bank Trust Account. You will need to specify the account name and number so please Contact Us for detailed information.
Donating Securities in Your Possession
If you hold actual stock certificates, you can:
- Personally deliver the certificates to the Development Office at the address below and endorse them when you arrive.
OR
- Send the certificates via first-class mail without an endorsement or assignment letter.
In a separate envelope, mail your endorsed stock power form (one per certificate). Endorse each stock power form by signing your name exactly as it appears on the front of the stock certificate(s). If the certificates are all in the same name, only one stock power form is needed. Do not complete any other portions of the stock power form.
Important Note: The unendorsed stock certificates are not negotiable without signed stock power forms and the latter are worthless without the certificates, so be sure to mail them in separate envelopes.
Mail both the certificates and the stock power forms on the same day. The postmark will determine your date of gift for valuation.
Please include a letter with the certificates indicating the purpose of your gift or the appropriate designation.
Mail to:
Ranken Technical College
Development Office
4431 Finney Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63113
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
- Plan Ahead When Making Your Gift – If you are making a gift at year-end for a tax deduction in that calendar year, be aware of the time it takes for assets to transfer completely. For electronic transfers, the official date of the gift is the date the assets are received by Ranken. For gifts of physical certificates, the date of the gift is the postmark date.
- Avoid Selling Appreciated Stock and Giving Ranken the Proceeds – Although this will still count as a gift, the IRS will impose capital gains tax on your sale, depriving you of a key tax benefit.
- Don’t Transfer Securities That Have Depreciated in Value – You won’t earn a capital loss by making the transfer. Instead, sell the depreciated stock, claim the resulting tax loss as a single deduction, and then use the proceeds to make a tax-deductible cash gift to Ranken.
- Making a Gift of Stock to Fund a Charitable Gift Annuity – We will need to know the date of acquisition and the cost basis for your asset(s). We will also need to know if the asset is held individually or jointly. The securities you use to make your gift must have been held by you for at least a year.
Deferred Gifts
Charitable Bequests in a Will or Trust
Charitable bequests are an excellent way to support Ranken because they are flexible and easy to set up and only require a few sentences in your will or trust. You can leave a specific amount of money, make a bequest contingent on family considerations or you can choose to leave a percentage of your estate. Keep in mind that you can change your mind at any time and remove a bequest from your will or trust, change the amount or percentage that you are leaving or change the designation of your bequest.
Sample Wording for Your Bequest
- Specific Sum: I hereby bequeath the sum of $_________ for the benefit and support of Ranken Technical College, St. Louis, Missouri.
- Percentage: I hereby bequeath ______% of my estate for the benefit and support of Ranken Technical College, St. Louis, Missouri.
- Contingency Bequest: I hereby bequeath $_______ or _______% of my estate for the benefit and support of Ranken Technical College, St. Louis, Missouri, contingent upon the following at the time of my death __________________________________.
Important: A contingency bequest will only be made when certain circumstances exist. It can be set up based upon any number of scenarios such as the residual amount left of your estate, the survival of family members, the status of other recipient organizations named in your will or trust or perhaps a change in the program the funds have been designated for. Please consult with your attorney or advisor to insure the proper wording of your contingency bequest.
Most estate gifts including charitable bequests qualify for an estate tax deduction. Please consult with your attorney or tax advisor for the most current information.
Gifts of Life Insurance
Life insurance is a simple and easy method of making a deferred gift to Ranken, and in most cases changing the designation only requires a phone call. You may even be able to change your beneficiary designation online.
A gift of life insurance eliminates a lot of concerns people have about giving away current assets. Like bequests, you can name Ranken as a partial beneficiary, co-beneficiary or sole beneficiary. You may also choose to name Ranken as a contingency beneficiary whereby the College only receives a gift if specific circumstances exist.
Finally, there is the flexibility and security of being able to change the designation as many times as you wish if your circumstances should change. Best of all, a gift of life insurance is fast, easy and it doesn’t cost you anything.
Gifts of Retirement Assets
Retirement assets offer a simple and tax-wise method of making a deferred gift to Ranken and it will cost you nothing. Tax-favored retirement accounts such as an IRA, 401k or 403b offer several advantages.
- Tax savings: you can avoid estate AND income taxes by donating all or a portion of your retirement assets to Ranken.
- Security: you can stipulate that only the remaining assets go to Ranken after your family has been taken care of, or if you prefer, you can direct specific amounts be given to your spouse and children with the balance going to Ranken.
- Flexibility: you can choose to include as many charitable organizations as you wish; there is no limit on the number of charities you can support.
- Simplicity: you can request a form from your retirement plan administrator and simply add or change the beneficiaries.
Many people are unaware that their tax-favored retirement assets are likely to be taxed twice upon their death. Tax savings alone make these accounts an excellent choice when deciding what method to use when making a deferred gift.