YOUR TESTAMENTARY GIFT TO CLAREMONT SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
Thank you for your interest in providing a bequest to Claremont School of Theology. We are grateful to be working with you to preserve your enduring legacy to support CST’s mission.
Unrestricted bequests
Unrestricted bequests allow CST to use the funds for institutional priorities at the time the gift is received. At this crucial time in the life of CST, unrestricted bequests are critical to continue our mission.
Restricted bequests
Claremont School of Theology accepts restricted bequests to a specific fund (including an endowment), a particular purpose, or to carry in perpetuity the name of the donor or the donor’s family. Please be aware there are some legal and practical considerations as you plan a restricted bequest to CST. For example,
certain gifts to CST have minimum required amounts (e.g., scholarships, fellowships, and professorships). Restricted bequests should meet institutional guidelines. We recommend speaking with a Philanthropic Advisor or your legal counsel.
Information for Estate Attorneys and Administrators
Our legal name is: Southern California School of Theology. (D/B/A: Claremont School of Theology)
Our tax ID number is: 95-1904355
Our address and contact information for estates and trusts is:
Office of Development
Claremont School of Theology
10497 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Welcome to the Maclay Society
Please let us know when you have included CST in your estate plans. That’s all we need to welcome you as a member of the Maclay Society, named after our founder. The McClay Society is CST’s way of saying “thank you” for remembering Claremont in your plans.
WAYS TO MAKE A GIFT THROUGH YOUR ESTATE
1. Name Claremont School of Theology in your IRA or other qualified retirement plan (Keogh, tax-sheltered annuity, or qualified pension or profit-sharing plan), insurance policy, or bank account.
• For many, retirement funds can be the most highly taxed assets owned, as the funds can be subject to both estate and income taxes. CST is tax-exempt, so your bequest of a retirement fund can pass to CST tax-free.
• When you name CST as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy, the assets pass to the school tax-free.
• You can name CST as a beneficiary on a bank or brokerage account through a “Pay on Death” or “Transfer on Death” option. Accounts that pass to CST in this manner will not be included in probate.
• Most administrators require a beneficiary designation form to name CST as a beneficiary of your fund, account, or policy. Please use the official name of the school—“Southern California School of Theology”—when naming the school as a beneficiary.
• The date of establishment for Claremont School of Theology is 1957. (required on some beneficiary designation forms).
2. Make a gift through your will or trust.
• A will or trust is a thoughtful document that identifies the people and causes you care about most. You can make a gift of a specific dollar amount or particular assets, such as securities, real estate, tangible personal property (works of art or rare books), to CST, or you can name CST to receive all or a percentage of the remainder of your estate, after specific amounts bequeathed to other beneficiaries are distributed and estate-related expenses are paid.
• Trusts which benefit both family members as well as CST can be set up through your will or revocable trust. A lead trust saves estate taxes by providing annual payments to CST in lieu of taxes; the remaining amount goes to your family or friends. A remainder trust provides payments to your surviving family members or friends for life or a specified term, with the remainder going to CST at the end of the term.
To make an unrestricted bequest, please use the following sample language.
“I give and bequeath to the Claremont School of Theology, a not-for-profit corporation, the sum of Dollars [or all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate] to be used for the general purposes of the school.”