Giving Directly to the GCAF
Make your gift payable to "German Club Alumni Foundation" and mail it to:
German Club Alumni Foundation
711 Southgate Drive
Blacksburg VA 24060
Ways to Give
There are a variety of ways to contribute to the GCAF. All can be handled through Va. Tech or directly to the GCAF:
- Cash
- Credit Card
- Securities
- Memorial Gifts
- Real Estate
- Matching Gifts
- Legacy Society
Cash - The most common way to make a gift is by check, which should be made payable to "Va. Tech Foundation" if giving through Va. Tech and designate the gift for the German Club Alumni Foundation, or payable to "German Club Alumni Foundation" if giving directly to the Foundation.
Credit Card People are giving with credit cards more often for both convenience and to receive reward points form the credit card company. Gifts can be made in one month; others specify an automatic charge to be made in given months. To give directly to the Foundation via credit card you must contact the Executive Director, Michael Carisetti, at 540-552-6830 or by email at gcaf.exectdirector@gmail.com. To give to the Foundation through Va. Tech, you can call in your information to 800-533-1144 and tell them it is for the German Club Alumni Foundation, or you can click here to complete an online form.
Securities - Gifts of securities, such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds, can be a tax-wise way to support Va. Tech. They can be donated without paying any capital gains taxes. Moreover, if a donor has held such stocks for more than one year, he or she can claim a tax deduction based on the securities' fair market value -- even though they were purchased for only a fraction of that amount. (Securities held less than one year also can be donated, qualifying for a deduction typically based on what the donor paid for them.)
Gifts of securities typically involve publicly traded shares, such as those traded on the major exchanges, over-the-counter, and most common mutual funds. Gifts of privately held stock are also possible, although they are more complex and require more time to complete. It is our practice to sell the stock immediately upon receipt.
Contact the Executive Director, Michael Carisetti, at 540-552-6830 or by email at gcaf.execdirector@gmail.comto coordinate your securities gift.
Memorial Gifts - A gift made in memory or in honor of German Club man is a generous and thoughtful gesture to recognize an individual's life and accomplishments. When an honorary or memorial gift is made, the Executive Director notifies the honoree or next of kin. To make an honorary or memorial gift, send a letter to 711 Southgate Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060, indicating the purpose of your gift as well as the name and address of the honoree, and the name and address of the next of kin for a memorial gift.
Real Estate - Real estate gifts can be a tax-wise way to support Virginia Tech since they can be donated without paying any capital gains taxes. Moreover, if a donor has held the property for more than one year, he or she can claim a tax deduction based on its fair market value -- even though it was purchased for only a fraction of that amount. (Property held less than one year also can be donated, qualifying for a deduction typically based on what the donor paid for it.)
There are a variety ways in which real estate can be donated. It can be used to make an outright gift, allowing an endowment, capital project, or other needs to be funded right away. It can be used to fund a life income gift, paying the donor, and perhaps others, an income stream for life with the remainder then being used to support Virginia Tech. Donors also can contribute a remainder interest in a residence or a farm; this enables them to make a gift to Virginia Tech today while still living in their house or on their farm for the rest of their lives.
While the requirements to make a real estate gift vary, depending on the type of gift being considered, they typically require at least three steps -- an appraisal of the property's value, an assessment of any environmental risks posed by the property, and the preparation of a deed that actually transfers the property.
Contact the Executive Director, Michael Carisetti, at 540-552-6830 or by email at gcaf.execdirector@gmail.com to coordinate your real estate gift.
Matching Gifts - One way to maximize your gift to Virginia Tech is to check with your employer's personnel department to see if it is one of the many companies that have a matching gift program. You can also click here for a free look-up of matching gift companies. By following your company's guidelines, the value of your gift may be doubled or tripled. Many companies make this benefit available to employees, employee spouses, retirees, and board members that give to educational institutions. Therefore, in order to receive corporate matching you will need to give through Va. Tech with your gift designated for the German Club Alumni Foundation.
