A charitable lead trust is the reverse of a unitrust or annuity trust. You make a gift that creates an income for Eastern for up to 20 years. At the end of the trust term, the trust distributes its assets to designated non-charitable beneficiaries-usually children or grandchildren (or trusts for their benefit).

By establishing a charitable lead trust, you, in effect, "lend" the assets to Eastern for the term of the trust. The benefits of this gift arrangement are primarily reduction or elimination of the transfer taxes (estate and/or gift taxes) imposed on the transfer of assets to children or others. This instrument lets you make a current gift to the University without giving away your property.

The charitable lead trust can be a very powerful tool in gift and estate tax planning, but its complexity requires careful consideration of the technical requirements of this form of gift. We strongly encourage you to speak with your financial adviser.