How to Help

You can contribute to the continued success of our organization when you support UMS through personal giving, a planned gift or endowment, corporate partnerships, business advertising, or donating your time and talents.

For more information, please contact the UMS Development Office at 734-764-8489 or umsgiving@umich.edu.

Personal Giving

Your support is critical to the future of UMS. Your gift will help to ensure that the arts remain an important part of the University of Michigan, our community, and our region. Gifts at every level help.

Corporate Partnership

The regional business community plays a critical role in helping UMS provide accessible and inclusive programs, engaged learning opportunities in the arts, and bold leadership for the future of the arts.

Partnering with UMS through sponsorship, advertising, in-kind contributions, or hospitality packages aligns your brand with world-class artistry, diversity, tradition, and innovation, all while demonstrating your commitment to the extraordinary quality of life we enjoy in southeastern Michigan.

To discuss what we can achieve together, please contact Susan Bozell Craig at 734-647-1176 or e-mail sbozell@umich.edu.

Sponsorship Opportunities

At UMS, we listen to the needs of your business to develop a sponsorship package that works as an integrated part of your business development plans. We invite you to talk with a development officer to design a customized package that meets your objectives and budget.

Program Book Advertising

Download program book media kit
(585K PDF)

Advertising in the UMS program book is a smart investment, presenting your business to this area’s most sought-after audience. With a readership of over 88,000, this full color, professionally-designed piece includes lively photos, compelling program notes, and interesting historical sidebars and is the official guide to more than 60 performances.

Gifts In-Kind

Interested in making UMS patrons your customers while supporting an important organization in our community? Businesses providing more than $500 of in-kind products or services gain exposure to a loyal group of UMS audience members who could become your best customers.

Planned Giving

Including UMS in your estate plan will help ensure that the extraordinary impact of the performing arts will continue in southeastern Michigan for generations to come.

UMS has established the Burton Tower Society to recognize individuals who have made provisions for future support through bequests, annuities, charitable remainder trusts, or other planned gifts. Planned gifts to UMS are also recognized in the U-M Monteith Legacy Society.

There are several ways to make a planned gift. Your lawyer or tax advisor can assist you with the option most appropriate for your circumstances and wishes.

Bequest

A bequest is one of the easiest ways you can leave a lasting impact on the organization. Through your will, you can designate a fixed amount, or have a percentage of your assets transferred to UMS.

A retirement asset, such as an IRA, makes an excellent asset to bequeath. If the IRA were given to your family, much of the value might be lost through estate and income taxes. By designating UMS as the beneficiary of all or part of your IRA (using a beneficiary designation form provided by your custodian), the full value of the gift is transferred tax-free upon your death. You will receive an estate tax charitable deduction and lessen the tax burden on your heirs. Documenting your bequest allows UMS to recognize your generosity, and it inspires other alumni and friends to follow in your footsteps. Documenting your intentions will also help ensure your wishes are met.

If you wish to designate your gift toward a specific purpose or establish an endowment, we will review and/or provide specific language. If you have not yet designated a purpose, simply complete a letter of intent, gift agreement, or declaration of intent form to document your wishes. Any documentation will be kept in strict confidence.

Charitable gift annuity

A charitable gift annuity is a contract between you and University of Michigan, on behalf of UMS, that can provide you with a secure source of fixed income starting now or starting at a select point in your future. You transfer cash or property, such as appreciated securities, to the University of Michigan and, in exchange, you receive a fixed income for life.

If you fund your gift annuity with cash, a significant portion of the annuity income will be tax-free. If you make a gift of appreciated securities to fund a gift annuity, you avoid a portion of the capital gains tax. You will receive a charitable deduction for your gift equal to the remainder of the annuity that comes to UMS.

UMS works with the University of Michigan Office of Gift Planning to answer any questions you may have. They can also provide more information on the many benefits of charitable gift annuities.

Charitable remainder trust

You may be concerned about the high capital gains tax upon the sale of your appreciated property. Or perhaps you recently sold property and are looking for a way to save on taxes this year and plan for retirement. Or you may be tired of riding the fluctuating stock market and want a fixed income. A charitable remainder unitrust might offer the solutions you need.

A charitable remainder unitrust can provide you with income for a term of years or for one or two lives. The income reflects trust investments, and there is potential that the income could increase over time with growth in the trust. You avoid capital gains on the sale of your appreciated assets, and receive a tax deduction for the remaining portion of the trust that is given to UMS after the term period has expired or upon your death.

There are several unitrust payout options to meet your needs. The standard unitrust pays out a percentage of the trust assets each year. A charitable remainder annuity trust pays out a fixed amount each year based on the value of the property at the time it is gifted. Another payout option, commonly used for real estate, permits the trust to sell the property tax free and then begin paying you income after the property has been sold.

UMS works with the University of Michigan Office of Gift Planning to answer any questions you may have. They can also provide more information on the many benefits of charitable remainder trusts.

Endowment

An endowment helps ensure financial stability and provides a foundation on which to grow. Endowment funds work together with operating funds to provide a diversified financial portfolio that addresses both the current and long-term needs of UMS.

When combined with operating gifts, the income generated from endowment funds helps cover the annual costs of presenting performances and educational programs. It also allows UMS to plan further ahead and make commitments to projects that must sometimes be secured several years in advance.

UMS’s endowment funds are managed by the University of Michigan, which earns one of the highest rates of return among university endowments. Donors at all levels of giving can help us secure UMS’s future by making gifts to the UMS endowment fund with cash, appreciated stocks, or through a planned gift.

Volunteer

More than 700 individuals dedicate countless hours and endless energy to support the success of UMS. Learn more about volunteering opportunities at UMS.