Support the Buck

Philanthropic gifts to the Buck Institute have the ability to affect real change in biomedical research aimed at extending the healthy years of life. With Buck science on the cusp of unlocking the mystery of the aging process and its connection to chronic disease, private support for basic research is now more important than ever! Your gift of $250 or more will make you a member of the Buck community and will go toward helping Buck scientists discover new ways to live better longer.

Your gift can accelerate the pace of discovery! Private support gives Buck Institute scientists the flexibility to follow promising leads and quickly launch new studies before they are eligible for NIH grant support. Funding from private donors also supports the Institute’s physical growth, enabling the Buck to recruit the most talented faculty investigators and to support creative junior scientists as they begin their careers.

Become an OVA Member for $100
Benefits:

• • Access to OVA Hour, our monthly webinars and lectures
  • Unlimited access to the archive of OVA Hour webinars
  • Unlimited access to online library of articles and papers
  • Early registration status for OVA events

Become a Community Member for $250
Benefits:

• • Subscription to "Buck Breakthroughs," Buck's quarterly electronic newsletter
  • Quarterly "Buck Insights" email, a member-only publication featuring curated articles, insider updates, and news you can use
  • Advance invitations to Buck events, conferences, and public meetings
  • Access to for Buck's popular Lifelong Learning Courses

Join the Buck Academy for $1,000
Benefits:

• • All of the above benefits of Community Membership
  • Invitation to annual Buck Academy Event - a state of the science Buck talk, including Buck faculty and scientist presentation and conversations
  • Exclusive access to "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) sessions with Dr. Gordon Lithgow

Join OVA and Buck Community for $300
Benefits:

• • All of the above benefits of OVA Membership
  • All of the above benefits of Community Membership

Another Opportunity to Support the Buck
Make us your favorite charitable organization through AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support the Buck every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the Buck. Visit smile.amazon.com and choose Buck Institute for Research on Aging as your favorite charitable organization. It’s an easy way to help the Buck! Thank you!

Consider the Buck in your estate planning.

We can speak with you about your particular philanthropic interests and the ways you might include the Buck in a bequest or other planned gift.

Wills and bequests

The Buck Institute welcomes the generosity of donors who are considering bequests and other planned gifts. It was just such a gift from Beryl Buck that led to the founding of the Institute, meeting her desire “to extend help toward the problems of the aged” by creating a research organization that is “of national and international importance and significance [and] beneficial to all humankind.”

Bequests and other planned gifts represent a thoughtful decision to address the needs of future generations through research to extend the healthy years of life. We encourage you to inform the Institute of your plans and to permit us to express our gratitude to you now, rather than later to your executors.

For general information, contact : Lisa Palma

Director of Philanthropy
LPalma@buckinstitute.org
415-209-2027

What the CARES Act Means for Your Generous Support of the Buck Institute in 2021

The CARES Act of 2020 offers tax incentives to support charitable causes.  For those who itemize, the measure allows for up to 100% of adjusted gross income, or AGI (with few exceptions), for cash gifts.  If you don’t itemize, the $300 universal charitable deduction has been extended for 2021. Here are more answers to your possible specific questions on why the CARES act is important to you and your charitable giving. 

What if I itemize my deductions?  The AGI limit for cash contributions to qualifying public charities remains increased for individual donors. For cash contributions made in 2021, you can elect to deduct up to 100% of your AGI (formerly 60% prior to the CARES Act).

Not itemizing?  The CARES Act allowed for an additional, “above-the-line” deduction for charitable gifts made in cash of up to $300. This provision is extended into 2021 for taxpayers filing single/separately.

New in 2021 is an additional “above-the-line” deduction for those married filing jointly. Joint filers (who aren’t itemizing) will be allowed to take an above-the-line deduction of up to $600 in cash contributions to charity this year.

What if I have a donor-advised fund?  These incentives apply only to cash contributions to public charities and do not apply to contributions to supporting organizations or public charities that sponsor donor-advised funds. However, there have been no changes to existing deductions for contributions made to a donor-advised fund sponsor (like Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or a local community foundation). This means you are still able to deduct up to 60% of your AGI for gifts in cash to a donor-advised fund, and up to 30% for gifts of appreciated assets.

Existing carry-over rules still apply, so if your donations this year exceed your AGI deduction limits, you may carry forward excess deductions for up to five subsequent tax years. As always, donors should consult with their tax and legal advisors when considering their charitable giving.

Are the rules the same for IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD)?  The CARES Act did not change the rules around the QCD, which allows individuals over 70½ years old to donate up to $100,000 in IRA assets directly to a charity like the Buck Institute annually, without taking the distribution into taxable income.  Donors may not make a QCD gift directly to a donor-advised fund under the current guidelines.

However, it is important to remember that under the CARES Act an individual can elect to deduct 100% of their AGI for charitable contributions of cash. This effectively affords individuals over 59½ years old benefits similar to those of a QCD; they can take a cash distribution from their IRA, contribute the cash to a qualified charity, such as the Buck Institute, and may completely offset any tax attributable to the distribution by taking a charitable deduction for the full amount up to a total of 100% of their AGI for the tax year. 

If you’re planning a large donation in 2021, this may be a smart strategy as long as you are between the ages of 59½ and 70½ and are not dependent on existing retirement funds.

 

The tax information provided is general and educational in nature and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Buck Institute does not provide legal or tax advice. Content provided relates to taxation at the federal level only. Charitable deductions at the federal level are available only if you itemize deductions. Rules and regulations regarding tax deductions for charitable giving vary at the state level, and laws of a specific state or laws relevant to a particular situation may affect the applicability, accuracy, or completeness of the information provided. As a result, Buck Institute cannot guarantee that such information is accurate, complete, or timely. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, and changes in them may have a material impact on pre- and/or after-tax results. Buck Institute makes no warranties with regard to such information or results obtained by its use. Buck Institute disclaims any liability arising out of your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information. Always consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation.