ASCE Foundation Chairs
Spring 2007 A Message from the ASCE Foundation Chair Bill Marcuson
"To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe. "Anatole France (1844-1924)
As Chair of the ASCE Foundation, it is my responsibility to ensure that Foundation donors, ASCE members, and friends of the Foundation are aware of opportunities to support the future of civil engineering. Thus, my ?Message? in this newsletter is to alert you to an opportunity to support the future of civil engineering with a gift much larger than one would normally think of giving.
The new Pension Protection Act of 2006, signed into law by President Bush in August of 2006, includes the much-awaited IRA Charitable Rollover provision. This allows anyone who is 70 ? years of age or older to distribute up to $100,000 per year to qualified charities, such as the ASCE Foundation. A spouse also can give $100,000 per year, if eligible.
The Act, only in effect for calendar years 2006 and 2007, encourages financial support of charitable organizations across the U.S. and provides new tax incentives for charitable gifts from older donors. If you are in this age bracket, you can make charitable gifts from your IRA without undesirable tax effects.
I encourage you to speak with your tax advisor and consider this special opportunity to make a gift to support the ASCE Foundation. It is really quite simple to do. Contact your IRA custodian and request a direct transfer be made from your account to the ASCE Foundation. The custodian must be the one to send the funds directly to the Foundation. Do not allow the check to be made payable to you with you then writing a check to the Foundation, as this would cause you to incur taxable income. Only a gift made directly from the custodian is tax free.
If you have already named a charitable organization as a beneficiary of your IRA, the ACT gives you the option of funding your philanthropy early. By making a lifetime gift now from your IRA (up to $100,000) instead of after your death, you can see first- hand your philanthropic dollars at work. You get a head start on the legacy you would like to leave and give yourself the joy of watching your philanthropy take shape. This new legislation allows more of us to give back to our communities, causes, and organizations about which we care.
For further information about how to use your IRA to make a gift to support civil engineering, please contact the ASCE Foundation at 703-295-6342. I hope you will take advantage of this special opportunity to support the future of civil engineering.
With best wishes,
Bill
W.F. Marcuson III, Ph.D., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE Chair, ASCE Foundation
President, ASCE
Message from Past Foundation Chairs
Spring 2006A Message from the 2006 ASCE Foundation Chair Dennis Martenson
It's a basic rule of politics, and of life, too: people like to be asked,
and they especially like to be thanked.Tim Russert—from his book, Big Russ and Me
Read more...
Spring 2005
A Message from the 2005 ASCE Foundation Chair William P. Henry, P.E., F.ASCE
"To the engineer falls the task of clothing the bare bones of science with life, comfort, and hope."—Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States and civil engineer
Read more...
Related Articles
- ASCE Foundation Home
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- Make a Gift to Support Civil Engineering
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- Transferring Stock to Make a Gift
- Estate Planning Information
- The Civil Engineering Legacy Society
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- 2002: Building The Future Campaign
- About the ASCE Foundation
