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The Milton S. Eisenhower Legacy Circle

The Sheridan Libraries are the heart of the academic enterprise at The Johns Hopkins University. Strong collections of books, journals, electronic resources, and other scholarly materials are essential to the excellence in research and teaching for which Hopkins is world-renowned. Milton Eisenhower is remembered above all at Johns Hopkins for his vision of unity. As the University's eighth president, he saw the need for a common sense of purpose that would bring cohesion to the institution. Most remarkable of all, he was able to achieve this cohesion. The most treasured example of this vision is the Milton S. Eisenhower Library. Recognizing the Library as the center of the academic institutions, in 1964 he brought together--under one roof--the University's rich collection of books, journals, and other scholarly resources.

Become a Part of the Legacy
Distinguished scholarship by faculty and students at Johns Hopkins depends on the strength of the Sheridan Libraries. The Library depends on the support of its Friends. You can continue the Hopkins tradition of excellence by becoming a member of the Milton S. Eisenhower Legacy Circle. The Eisenhower Legacy Circle recognizes those who name the Library as beneficiary of a planned gift either in the form of a life income gift or a bequest.

Life Income Gifts
A life income gift can allow you to make a substantial gift to the Library, while still providing for your personal financial needs. There are several types of such plans, all of which combine life payments for one or more beneficiaries designated by the donor with a gift to charity. You may give cash, stocks, bonds, or real estate to the Library and still retain an income that is often more substantial than what the asset was originally producing. A life income gift can provide significant tax benefits, including a federal tax deduction for a portion of the value of the gift, and favorable capital gains tax treatment if the gift is in the form of real estate or securities that have appreciated in value. Your gift can be made as a charitable gift annuity, a deferred payment gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, or to a pooled income fund. Income provided by a life income gift often enables individuals to donate more than they thought possible.

A life income gift enables you to secure your legacy to the Library now, provide annual income, and benefit future generations.

Bequests
A bequest is a legal provision, made by will, which names the Library as the recipient of all, or a portion, of your estate. The bequest may be in the form of cash, securities, or other personal property. You may specify that the Library receive a certain amount or percentage of your estate, a particular asset or collection of assets, or the remainder of your estate after providing for heirs. You may also want to create a trust and direct the income to another beneficiary with the trust principal ultimately going to the Library.

Named Endowment Funds
You may wish to establish a permanent Endowed Fund in your name, to honor another person, or as a memorial. Endowed Fund income supports the purchase of books, journals, electronic resources, and other scholarly materials and is recognized by a specially designed bookplate.

Join the Eisenhower Legacy Circle
The first step in planned giving is to identify your ultimate wishes and objectives. A creative plan can then be crafted to meet your goals. You will want to consult your financial advisors, and we will be happy to arrange a time for you and your advisors to talk with the planned giving professional here at Johns Hopkins University, to design a gift plan that best suits your objectives. Planned giving enables you to arrange charitable contributions in ways that maximize your personal obejctives while minimizing the after-tax cost. For more information about joining the Eisenhower Legacy Circle, please call Linda Claremon at the Sheridan Libraries development office at 410-516-0323. For more information about gift planning at Johns Hopkins go to Planned Giving.