Beneficiary Designations

Make a Gift in 3 Easy Steps

Not everyone wants to commit to making a gift in their wills or estates. Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using: 

  • IRAs and retirement plans
  • Life insurance policies
  • Commercial annuities

It only takes three simple steps to make this type of gift. Here's how to name Northern State University as a beneficiary:

  1. Contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form.
  2. Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like us to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.
  3. Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution.

Learn More

Download our FREE guide Beneficiary Designations: Easy Ways to Leave Your Legacy.

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See How It Works

An Example of How It Works

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Family walking and laughing Robert and Carol treasure the financial help they've been able to give their children and NSU over the years. The couple recently updated their will to leave stocks and real estate to their kids. They left NSU a $75,000 IRA to be transferred following their lifetime. Because NSU is tax-exempt, all $75,000 will help support our mission.

If Robert and Carol had left the IRA to their children, approximately $18,000* would have gone to pay federal income taxes-leaving only $57,000 for their family's use. Robert and Carol are happy knowing they are making the most of their hard-earned money thanks to their updated estate plan.

*Based on an assumption of a 24% marginal income tax bracket.

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Next Steps

  1. Contact NSU Foundation at 605-626-2550 or nsualumni@northern.edu for additional information on beneficiary designations and how they can help support NSU with our mission.
  2. Talk to your financial or legal advisor to learn which assets will or will not trigger taxable income when paid to a beneficiary.
  3. If you name NSU in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID.

Legal Name: Northern State University Foundation
Address: 620 15th Avenue SE, Aberdeen, South Dakota 57401
Federal Tax ID Number: Please contact us for our federal tax ID number.