When you give a planned gift to the AHC, you make it possible for the AHC to engage students, teachers, UW faculty members, scholars and researchers throughout the world in a lasting manner. A few of the different types of planned gifts that can be given to the American Heritage Center are:

• Revocable Living Trusts—This type of gift can provide you with fixed annual payments for life through the gift of property. The funds only go to charity when the donor specifies. Also a tax deduction is allowed at the time the gift is made to the charity. Of course, there are many different types of trusts, and the right giving vehicle can be tailored to your needs.
• Charitable Remainder Trusts—Giving through cash, securities or property that can be sold and the proceeds reinvested can make it so that you or your estate beneficiaries do not need to pay a capital gains tax.
• Gift Annuities—You can transfer money or assets to a charity. In return, the charity can provide you with income for the remainder of your life. This allows you to avoid being taxed while still enjoying income.
• Life Insurance—You can take an income tax deduction by naming a charity as the beneficiary of your life insurance.

Also, for the past six years, the University of Wyoming has been given state matching dollars for gifts to endowments, including certain types of planned gifts. Qualifying gifts must be at least $50,000 and given after March 1, 2001. Many donors have responded to this opportunity provided by the state and doubled the size and impact of their gift. There has never been a better time to give to the AHC!

Currently, the AHC’s top two funding priorities for a planned gift are:

1. Institute for Primary Sources (3 million) would improve the level of research services offered and would endow an archivist and name a reading room. This Center for Primary Sources would be a unique educational outreach effort that would be a model in primary source education and engagement.
2. Digital Archives Center (3 million) would improve the AHC’s ability to digitize records making records more accessible to teachers, students, scholars and researchers world-wide.

For gift planning assistance, please call Mark Greene, American Heritage Center Director at 307-766-2474 or e-mail mgreene@uwyo.edu. Gifts of any size are welcomed by the American Heritage Center and are tax deductible. More than 50% of the American Heritage Center’s funding comes from private donors—like you!  

In recognition and appreciation of your gift, all donors receive Heritage Highlights, the AHC’s acclaimed newsletter, which brings you up-to-date information about our collections and research.  

More importantly, you will join a community of like minded people who are committed to supporting the American Heritage Center and the work it does to bring history alive.