Helping Students Who Need It Most, Long into the Future

Naming Brandeis as IRA beneficiary expands Gilbert family’s impact

Ann Gilbert has long been a generous supporter of Brandeis. She and her late husband, Frank, grandson of Justice Louis Brandeis, the University’s namesake, have contributed to many funds and donated Justice Brandeis artifacts.

Ann’s biggest source of pride as a philanthropist, however, is the Ann and Frank Brandeis Gilbert Endowed Scholarship. Established in 2020, the scholarship provides a Brandeis education to students with limited financial resources.

“It’s so important to give these opportunities to students who might not otherwise be able to afford them,” says Ann. “It was important to me to make this scholarship need-based, for smart young people who would like to attend the University, and for whom a scholarship would make the difference.”

And now, she is continuing her support by naming Brandeis as the remainder beneficiary of her IRA in her estate plan. Her creative planned gift will increase the impact of the Ann and Frank Brandeis Gilbert Endowed Scholarship Fund, ensuring even more students with limited means can attend Brandeis.  

“This just seemed like such a natural way to meet my philanthropic goals,” adds Ann. 

Naming Brandeis University as a full or partial beneficiary of an IRA or other type of retirement plan is a simple way to make a planned gift to Brandeis. 

These gifts also come with tax benefits. Retirement plans are subject to income taxes in the hands of individual heirs, but directing all or some of such plans to a charitable organization like Brandeis, which is not obligated to pay income taxes, ensures the organization benefits from the full amount of the IRA remainder.

“Directing part of your retirement funds to Brandeis is just a really sensible thing,” she says. “It makes sense for anybody that really cares about the University and wants to see it succeed.”