Upstate Today & Tomorrow
Upstate Today & Tomorrow highlights timely ideas and stories showing the profound impact of a planned gift to the Upstate Foundation. For more information or to have a confidential conversation regarding your legacy gift plans, contact Jennifer Sawyer at 315-464-4264, SawyerJe@upstate.edu.
Spring 2026 Issue
Leaving a legacy gift
If you are interested in joining an exclusive group of Upstate Foundation donors who have taken the simple, yet life-changing step to leave a legacy gift to the Upstate Foundation, we are here to help.
There are many ways you can leave a legacy gift to support any of the 1,367 funds at the Upstate Foundation, or you can even create a new fund that speaks to your heart.
Will or trust: Name the Upstate Foundation in your will or trust for a specific dollar gift or a percentage of your estate.
Life insurance: Name the Upstate Foundation as the main or partial beneficiary on a new or existing policy. If you name the Foundation as the owner of a new or existing policy, paying the premium becomes a tax-deductible contribution.
Retirement accounts: Naming the Upstate Foundation as the beneficiary on one or more of your retirement accounts is one of the most attractive legacy giving options. For instance, naming the Foundation as a beneficiary on an IRA and leaving other assets to individuals provides tax advantages to them and the Foundation receives 100 percent of your donation.
Gifts of stock: Name the Upstate Foundation as a beneficiary to receive a portion of your brokerage account.
Transfer on Death (TOD): Naming the Upstate Foundation as a beneficiary of your bank account is simple. Simply visit your local branch and sign the paperwork to name the Foundation as the recipient of your account(s) upon your death.
Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA): Receive a fixed-rate life income from a donation of $50,000 or more and leave your legacy gift to whatever cause you care about at the time of your death. CGAs can be issued as single-
or two-life contracts. The IRS allows anyone over 70½ years of age a one-time transfer of up to $54,000 from an IRA to fund a CGA.
To name the Upstate Foundation in your estate plan:
Legal Name: The Upstate Foundation, Inc.
Address: Upstate Foundation, 750 E. Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210
Tax ID: 16-1068101
Phone: 315-464-4416
Upstate Legacy Society – Spotlight
Mary MacBlane and Tom Miller
Mary MacBlane and Tom Miller are everyday people. Both are retired. Mary worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner at Upstate University Hospital for over 30 years and Tom was a radar systems engineer for General Electric and SENSIS. Both share a love of antiques and operate Serendipity: Antiques, Artwork and Goodies in North Syracuse. Their home is filled with antiques. And both share a love of Kevin, their rescue dog.
It doesn’t get much more “everyday” than that.
Yet Mary and Tom are recent members of the Upstate Legacy Society, which the Foundation established as a tribute to donors who include Upstate in their estate plans.
“Leaving a legacy seemed like it was only for people with lots of money, but we learned everyday people can leave something and make an impact.”
– Mary MacBlane and Tom Miller
“Working with our financial advisor and the Upstate Foundation made it very easy and understandable,” Mary said.
With their legacy gift, Mary and Tom are establishing an endowment to complement their existing restricted fund which supports unmet needs for young adult neurology patients at Upstate University Hospital. The restricted fund will make money available to assist neurology patients while the invested endowment grows. Neurology and child development were the areas in which Mary worked for much of her nursing career.
Mary and Tom were historically charitable givers during their careers, both being Hamilton White donors through their respective employers’- annual United Way campaigns. Now that they are retired, they have opened a donor-advised fund at the Upstate Foundation to continue their legacy of giving. They advise the Foundation as to what qualified nonprofit organizations they would like to support and when to send a contribution.
“We have been blessed,” Mary said gratefully. “Through my work in pediatrics, I saw many patients and families struggling and we knew we wanted to find a way to help. As part of my work, I was a fund advisor for the Upstate Foundation. That gave me insight on how to help.”
Maximizing your impact through tax-efficient planning
Professional Advisory Council Spotlight
Leaving money to charity and family is a wonderful way to make an impact. If you have multiple types of accounts – like a Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, brokerage account, or life insurance – how you list your beneficiaries can make a big difference for both your loved ones and your favorite organization. Rather than naming both family and charities equally on every account, it can be more effective to designate the charity as a larger beneficiary of your pre-tax accounts (like a Traditional IRA or 403(b)), while leaving Roth IRAs, brokerage accounts and life insurance primarily to your loved ones.
Here’s why: Charities do not owe tax on gifts, even from pre-tax retirement accounts. Family, on the other hand, would owe income tax on distributions from inherited pre-tax accounts, and the IRS may require your loved one to deplete their inherited account within ten years. In contrast, Roth IRAs and life insurance pass income tax-free to individuals, while brokerage accounts often receive a “step-up in basis,” reducing potential capital gains tax. This means your family could keep more after-tax money, while the charity still receives the full gift you intend.
You aren’t alone in navigating these complicated rules. Seek advice from a trusted financial professional for guidance on tax-efficient legacy planning.
Brendan Dunuwila CFP®, CPWA®
Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser
Turn your gift into greater impact in 2026
Through the New York State Tax Credit Program, qualified donors to The Upstate Foundation may be eligible to receive a New York State tax credit for charitable contributions directed to the fund or priority of their choice. This limited opportunity allows you to amplify your support for Upstate while maximizing your tax efficiency.
To learn whether you qualify, contact Russell Corbin, corbinr@upstate.edu
Funds in the Spotlight
The Upstate Foundation manages over 1,300 funds, the most of any charitable organization in the region, in support of patient care, education of health care providers, scientific research, and community health and well-being. Below are just a few of the Foundation’s many funds.
Thomas A. Miller & Mary E. MacBlane Restricted Fund #26250 – The purpose of this fund is to support unmet needs of patients/families hospitalized in Neurology services, focused on ages 18-50, but not limited to these ages for comfort kits, meal cards, gas cards, parking passes and other patient care related travel expenses, etc.
J.S. Ferris Scholarship Endowment for Pediatric NP #63510 – The specific purpose of this fund is to provide scholarships for PNP nursing students at Upstate Medical University.
Friend in Deed #FID – The purpose of this fund is to support unmet patient needs within Upstate University Hospital.
To find the fund – or create a new one – that matches your giving interests, contact the Foundation or visit www.UpstateFoundation.org/fundsearch
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