Gifts

Eight out of ten cases of vision impairment and blindness result from diseases that currently can’t be prevented or cured.  Our mission here in the Clinical Research Unit at UAB Ophthalmology is to carry out research so that eye diseases can be cured and blindness prevented.

Discoveries made here have contributed to new methods of diagnosis and treatment of eye disease.  Magnificent opportunities now exist in clinical research to eliminate the causes of many diseases that result in blindness.

Our research toward the cure is made possible through partnerships with our Alabama community and beyond.  Your support allows us to maintain our state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and attract the brightest scientists in the fight against blindness.  Gifts are the cornerstone for advancing eye disease research.

Please help us in the fight to cure eye disease and prevent blindness so future generations can benefit from new and improved treatments.  All donations go directly toward our research in preventing eye disease and restoring vision.

The Clinical Research Unit in the Department of Ophthalmology at UAB is pleased to offer our prospective donors a variety of ways to support the research activities and programs of the CRU. These options are described below. To have information sent to you, click here.

Cash or Check
This is the simplest – and most frequently used – form of giving. You can deduct allowable contributions in the year they are paid.

Multi-year Pledges
We are pleased to work with donors who wish to contribute at periodic intervals or spread their payments over several years. Pledges are payable over a period of up to five years in equal or varying amounts according to the donor’s wishes. At the donor’s request, the university will issue a pledge reminder on a quarterly or annual basis.

Appreciated Market Securities (Including Stock in a Closely Held Corporation)
Giving highly appreciated securities can provide special tax advantages. The donor gets a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the securities on the date they are given and generally avoids any tax on the appreciation, as well. Donating securities on which you have experienced a loss is discouraged. It is better to sell those outright and donate the proceeds to the charity.

Owners of stock in a closely held corporation are uniquely positioned to benefit from giving the stock to a qualified charity. Most often, the stock has appreciated in value but pays no dividend. A planning method approved by the IRS allows the stockholder to give some of the closely held stock to a qualified charity. The charity may then sell the stock to the corporation, which may use its retained earnings for the purchase. There cannot be any prearranged contracts or written agreements requiring the charity to sell the stock or the corporation to purchase it. But, if this happens, the results of the transaction are: (1) no capital gains to the stockholder; (2) an income tax deduction for the current value of the shares donated; (3) avoidance of tax on distribution of retained earnings; and (4) control of the corporation is retained by the donor.

Charitable Gft Annuity
This is an easy way to make a gift to charity and receive supplemental income for life. A minimum gift of $10,000 is required and you must be at least 55 years old. To learn how rates are determined, call our Development office today at 325-8361.

Real Estate or Other Property
An outright gift of real property allows the donor to obtain for income tax purposes a charitable deduction equal to the property's full fair market value on the date of the gift. Certain limitations and rules for mortgaged property or property subject to debt may apply.

Deferred or Planned Gifts
"Deferred" or "planned" gifts consist of several types of giving arrangements in which benefits to the organization receiving the gift may not be immediate, but delayed or deferred. In addition to providing donors with potentially significant tax advantages, these gifts may also provide them with the opportunity to make a substantially larger gift than they originally thought possible. Deferred or planned gift opportunities include:

• Life insurance naming the charity as a beneficiary;
• Bequest, a gift of cash, securities, or property specified by a donor's will;
• Life income gift invested to yield income for the donor's designees, including Charitable remainder trusts and Charitable remainder annuity trusts, or a
• Charitable lead trust allowing the charity to use the property in trust for a period of time with the donor retaining the remainder at the end of the term.

Special Occasion Gift
Gifts can be designated in memory of a loved one or in honor of a special occasion.

Gifts can be mailed directly to our development office at this address below or feel free to contact us for more information.

Phone: (205) 325-8526
or toll free at (866) UAB-EYES.

E-mail: lmurphy@uab.edu

Gift Address:
Lindsay Knox
Director of Development
UAB Department of Ophthalmology
601 Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital
1720 University Boulevard
Birmingham, AL 35294-0009

Biography

(Please make checks payable to the CRU at UAB Ophthalmology.)

UAB is a qualified, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and all gifts are fully tax deductible as provided by law. Because of the technical and changing nature of philanthropy, we encourage you to consult with an attorney, accountant, or other qualified advisor when making large gifts. We welcome the opportunity to work with these professionals to help you achieve your charitable objectives.