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Couple Plans to Fund Oxford College's Most Pressing Needs

Chris and Amanda Arrendale

The Arrendales' unrestricted estate gift will help meet Oxford's most pressing needs.

When Chris Arrendale 99Ox 01C visited Emory's admission office in 1995, the adviser suggested he begin his studies at Oxford.

"My mother said, 'Well, you're not going to England,'" he remembers. Emory's birthplace east of Atlanta turned out to be the perfect place to start.

"Oxford College prepared me for Emory and for anything that life would throw at me," says Chris, who went on to earn a master's degree in software engineering and now owns two information technology companies in Atlanta. "With the small class sizes, you knew you would be called on and you knew you had to be ready."

Because Chris and his wife, Amanda, believe in supporting the institutions that are important to them, they have included Oxford in their estate plans. They have recently named a collaboration room in Oxford's new science building, a room in the Oxford College Campus Life Center, and a room in the Emory University Student Center.

"We like to give back to those places that have helped us along the way," Chris says.

Chris met Amanda, who has a master's degree in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology and works for a web teleconferencing company, during a former job at an email marketing and service provider in Atlanta.

They maintain a close relationship with Oxford, volunteering for Emory Cares International Service Day in Newton County each year and attending events related to the Oxford College Alumni Board, on which he serves as past president. Chris currently serves on the Emory Alumni Board as the Oxford College liaison.

The couple's estate gift is unrestricted, which means it will fund the most pressing needs at Oxford when the gift is realized. The Arrendales are currently working on an endowment aimed at internships and hope to name a scholarship in the near future.

Making your legacy gift to Emory is easier than you think. Contact the team of professionals at Emory Office of Gift Planning at giftplanning@emory.edu or 404.727.8875. For online resources, go to giftplanning.emory.edu.

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The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax adviser. Figures cited in examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to Emory University a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

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able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

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the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

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the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

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You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to Emory as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to Emory as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

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