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Supporting Students to Become Critical Thinkers

Bob and Becky Rosenfeld

Bob and Becky Rosenfeld are making a planned gift to University School of Nashville in appreciation for the impact it has made on their family.

When 6-year-old Bobby Rosenfeld’s parents took him to Peabody Demonstration School for an admissions meeting in 1957, he remembers Director Knox McCharen talking briefly with his parents before asking them to leave the room so he could visit with Bobby one-on-one.

What could the PDS director possibly expect to learn from a 6-year-old? As the family story goes, Dr. McCharen didn’t want to know just what Bobby’s parents, Helen and Louis, thought; he genuinely wanted to know his new student’s opinions.

Being encouraged to form and share his own perspective from such a young age had a significant impact on Bob, and that memory stands out even decades later.

“We live in a world of tribes, and variety of thought is not always encouraged,” Bob shares. “But I feel the more varied backgrounds we experience in our young years, the more opinions we experience, the more we are able to listen and be comfortable with different opinions, then ultimately the better adults and citizens we become.”

From his first day all the way through his high school years, independent thinking was a foundational cornerstone of Bob’s PDS education. It guided him through his years beyond those spent at 2000 Edgehill.

“My wife, Becky, and I wanted to make a planned gift to University School [of Nashville] because of what the Demonstration School meant to me,” Bob says. “Remarkable teachers like English teacher Nell Ballentine and history teacher Heber Rogers are primary examples of teachers and mentors who prepared me for college and life challenges. In their classes, you had to be able to think, take a position, support your opinion.”

Bob adds that his time at PDS was integral in making him a lifelong learner, someone always asking new questions, seeking new answers and able to successfully navigate what he calls “an unusually varied career path” using the positive growth mindset and continued thirst for knowledge that resulted from his PDS years.

“When Becky and I were updating our wills, including USN was a natural part of the decision-making process,” Bob says. “Creating a bequest in our will allowed us to give back to the place that did so much for generations of my family.”

Thinking back to young Bobby in Dr. McCharen’s office, Bob adds, “Although a planned gift is a very personal decision, it’s important to ask yourself, ‘What do you want left behind for future generations?’”

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Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to University School of Nashville a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

 Bequest Language

I, [name], of [city, state ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to University School of Nashville [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to USN or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land.

A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to USN as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to USN as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and USN where you agree to make a gift to USN and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.
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