Ways to Give

Alumni Scholarship Fund

Our alumni know better than anyone, the value of a Ranken education and the doors that it can open.

For many years, Alumni of Ranken Technical College have donated to a fund to support the Alumni Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to previous graduates and relatives of Ranken graduates. Awards are based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA, as well as the amount of funds that have been donated.

The David Ranken Jr. Legacy Society

In the early 1900s, David Ranken, Jr. established and then planned for the growth of what is now Ranken Technical College. The David Ranken, Jr. Legacy Society recognizes individuals who also plan for the future and have chosen to support the College through their estate planning, bequests, or other planned giving. The generosity of these donors helps ensure the continued excellence of Ranken Technical College for generations to come.

For more information, click here. You may also contact Brien McCarthy at (314)286-3602 or [email protected]  to learn more about the Legacy Society or to notify us of a gift in your will, trust, or other planned gift.

Here is a list of Legacy Society members.

Memorial and Honor Gifts

A Memorial or Honor gift is a good way to remember a friend or loved one who is deceased or honor someone who is still living. Over the years many donors have chosen to give a gift to honor or memorialize an alumnus, faculty member, trustee, family member, and other friends of Ranken. Below is a list of some recent Memorial and Honor gifts. If you have questions about this type of gift, you may contact Brien McCarthy by email or at 314-286-3602.

Types of Gifts

There are many ways to give to Ranken.

Current Gifts

Cash gifts (checks or money orders) 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 ensures 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 a 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

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: https://www.careasy.org/nonprofit/RankenTechnicalCollege

Important: Please contact the Development Office regarding all donations of personal property to ensure 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, 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.

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 ensure 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.