Celebrating CWRU’s past—and the legacy you can create for its future
Happy birthday, Case Western Reserve University! The incredible part of this celebration is that every single one of our alumni, friends and partners has contributed to this storied history. But it does make me wonder: what mark will your legacy leave on future generations?
The Office of Strategic Giving has an incredible front row seat as we help craft educational legacies by working with our alumni and friends to structure gifts that create scholarships, establish professorships and fund critical research—and we also have the privilege of including our donors’ history with CWRU as we make their legacies permanent.
The icing on the cake? Tax benefits! Many of our alumni and friends understand the benefits that Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) gifts through their IRAs can offer ($111,000 in 2026), but what others are realizing is that they can start their permanent endowments, provide immediate use gifts, and help fund research in an additional way since the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Starting this year, taxpayers who take the standard deduction can claim an above-the-line charitable deduction—up to $1,000 for individuals or $2,000 for couples—on cash gifts to qualified public charities. That means you can support CWRU now, reduce your taxable income later, and still keep the standard deduction—no itemizing required!
Our website can be a wonderful place to take a first step in starting your research and thinking through options, and the university’s Office of Strategic Giving can also partner with you to help talk through the right vehicle for your gift that helps maximize both your gift and its impact.
Your personal legacy can serve as the catalyst for impacting generations to come, and we would be honored to help you celebrate that legacy. Call the Office of Strategic Giving at 216.368.4460 or visit plannedgiving.case.edu to start your planning today!
Amanda Pinney. Assistant Vice President
216.368.6958
Carol Stephan, Executive Director
216.368.0158
Kristan Rothman, Associate Director
216.368.4460
