Tax Facts

Deductibility
The Cooper Union qualifies as a "public" charitable organization and meets the requirements of Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Gifts to Cooper Union are deductible at the highest limits allowed for federal income or estate tax purposes.

Estate Tax Deductions
Testamentary gifts are deductible at 100 percent of the value of the assets donated to The Cooper Union.

Income Tax Deductions
You may deduct gifts of cash (or elect to deduct only the cost basis of an appreciated asset) up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income in a year. Normally, gifts of appreciated capital assets may be deducted up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income. Excess deductions may be carried over for up to five additional years.

Tax Benefits
The tax benefits associated with specific types of gifts are included throughout the following sections of our website:

Helpful forms and publications can be found on the IRS website.
Contact our staff with your specific questions and let us provide you with detailed gift illustrations that apply to your personal situation.

Contact Information

Donna Lippman | Director of Planned Giving | The Cooper Union
30 Cooper Square, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10003-7120
Phone: 212-353-4172 | Fax: 212-353-4327 | Email: dlippman@cooper.edu

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.