First of all, thank you for considering a gift to help support our mission. We know that if you make a contribution, it will be because you believe in what we do, and because you want to help make a difference in the lives of others. But we’d also like to make sure you benefit from making a gift to us. How does this happen? You may be surprised to learn that some of the best gift plans also improve the donor’s financial and tax situation.
Your Giving Options
The most common donations are outright gifts, such as cash or a check, which we receive right away. But many times, people want to hold on to their money and other assets for now, just to be sure they can meet their family’s future financial needs. These people are usually delighted to learn that we have excellent alternatives that allow them to still make a gift. One of these options could be right for you, too.
They’re known as “planned” gifts. They can be revocable—a charitable bequest in your will, for example—so that you can change your mind at any time. Or, they can be irrevocable—just as outright gifts are—so that you benefit from an immediate income tax deduction.
The attraction of irrevocable planned gifts is that they are deferred. You part with an asset today, but the actual giving of the asset to us is put off for a while—often until after your lifetime (and that of a surviving beneficiary, if you wish). Until that time, you receive benefits from the gift.
For example, with a charitable remainder trust, you receive lifetime income from the asset after it’s placed in a trust, and then we receive the remainder of the trust after you die. Or, you could deed us a remainder interest in your home and still retain the right to live in it for life. At any rate, the key feature of planned gifts like these is that they provide important benefits to the donor, as well as the charitable organization.
Learn More We’ve designed a PDF chart to summarize the benefits of some of the main types of charitable gifts. Just think of what you want to accomplish with your gift and there’s probably a
way to do it!
We’re here to answer any questions you might have about planned giving. We can examine your particular situation and, together with your attorney and/or financial advisors, help you find ways to support our mission while ensuring your family’s financial security. Please email us or call for more information at (888) 444-1344
