A planned gift is a lasting investment in St. Christopher’s, ensuring our ability to provide services and support to children and family with special needs. Options include:
- Leaving us a gift in your will. You may leave St. Christopher’s a: stated dollar amount; percentage of your residual estate (what remains after gifts to loved ones and expenses have been paid); or specific asset, such as securities or other marketable property.
- Naming St. Christopher’s as a beneficiary on your retirement account or life insurance policy. This is a simple and powerful way to support our work without changing your will or living trust. Beneficiary designation gifts pass directly to us without going through the probate process. Other ways to name us as a beneficiary include naming St. Christopher’s as a Transfer-on-Death (TOD) or Payable-on-Death (POD) beneficiary on a bank or investment account, or a commercial annuity. And if you have a life insurance policy that is no longer needed for your family, designating us as a beneficiary is a simple way to support our work.
- Setting up a charitable gift annuity. It will provide you with a fixed lifetime annuity at an attractive rate, as well as the satisfaction of providing long-term support to St. Christopher’s. In sum, you make a gift of at least $10,000 to St. Christopher’s. In turn, we invest the assets and pay one or two annuitants fixed payments for life. You will be eligible for an immediate income tax deduction if you itemize on your tax return. At the end of the contract, we use the remaining funds to provide services and support to the children in our care. If you are under the age of 65 and planning for your income needs during retirement, you may want to consider a deferred gift annuity. Another option for you may be a charitable remainder trust, which is a separately managed trust that allows you to make a significant gift toward the future of St. Christopher’s work, while providing an income for yourself or loved ones.
- Establishing a charitable lead trust. This trust allows you to support our work, while safeguarding assets for your loved ones. You transfer cash, securities, or other assets to a trust. The trustee invests the assets, providing annual payments to St. Christopher’s for a period of time that you select. When the trust terminates, the remaining amount is paid to you or your heirs with the benefit of a reduced transfer tax.
To explore these and other options, you best, first step is to consult with your attorney or accountant. More information is also available from Dennis da Costa at ddacosta@sc1881.org.
