Charitable Trusts There are two types of charitable trusts: a charitable remainder unitrust and a charitable lead trust. A charitable remainder unitrust ("Unitrust") is a gift plan defined by federal tax law that allows you to provide income to yourself or others while making a generous gift to Northern Illinois University Foundation. The income may continue for the lifetimes of the beneficiaries you name, a fixed term of not more than 20 years, or a combination of the two. For more information on this type of trust, click here. A grantor charitable lead trust is a gift plan defined by federal tax law that allows you to retain ultimate possession of an asset while making a generous gift to Northern Illinois University Foundation. For more information on this type of trust, click here. For more information, please contact John Sentovich, Director of Gift Planning, at 815-753-1344 or e-mail sentovich@niu.edu.