Beneficiary Designations

A beneficiary designation is a simple way to support Notre Dame by naming the University on assets like retirement accounts, life insurance policies, or pension plans. This option allows you to make a meaningful gift without affecting your current income while simplifying estate planning and maximizing impact. Even a small percentage can provide lasting support for Notre Dame’s mission and future students.

Ways to Contribute

• Insurance
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  Insurance

  The most flexible option is naming Notre Dame as a full, partial, or contingent beneficiary of a whole life or universal policy. You retain complete ownership and control of your policy during your lifetime, allowing you to adjust your plans if your family’s needs change. To finalize this gift, simply request a Beneficiary Designation Form from your provider and name the University as a beneficiary.

• Retirement Assets
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  Retirement Assets

  Naming the University of Notre Dame as a beneficiary of your retirement assets, such as an IRA, 401(k), or 403(b), is an exceptionally tax-efficient way to make a significant charitable gift from your estate. You can easily do this by contacting your plan custodian for a beneficiary designation form. Upon your passing, the assets are transferred directly to Notre Dame, allowing your estate to claim a charitable estate tax deduction.

  Crucially, neither your estate nor your heirs will incur any taxable income from the distribution, meaning Notre Dame receives 100% of the IRA assets to apply to a charitable purpose of your choosing. By bypassing both estate and income taxes on these assets, designating Notre Dame as your retirement plan beneficiary stands out as one of the most advantageous methods for philanthropic giving from your estate.