Will to make a difference.
How can you help us place over 2,000 animals annually? Planned giving provides you with several options that can make a difference in our community while providing you with tax advantages.
The following are several options for you to explore, but none of the following is intended as legal advice. Please consult with a competent tax and legal professional to determine the best giving strategies for your situation.
Bequests
One of the simplest ways to leave a charitable legacy to the HSMC is through a provision in your will, stating your intentions. You can bequest any of the following:
- A gift in a specific dollar amount
- A percentage of your estate
- What remains after you provide for others
- A specific item or property
A bequest of property to the HSMC is deductible for estate tax purposes at its full market rate and can result in substantial tax savings.
Life Insurance
A simple and inexpensive way to leave an animal-supporting legacy is by changing the beneficiary on a life insurance policy to HSMC – particularly a policy that is no longer needed for its original purpose. This provides a tax-free gift that supports the humane treatment of animals.
Charitable Remainder Trust
Charitable Remainder Trusts provide both immediate tax benefits and income to the donor. Here is an example of how it works:
Catherine had stock valued at $50,000 and wished to make a gift to HSMC in support of animal health. After speaking with her attorney and investment advisor, she transferred this stock to a charitable remainder trust (CRT) – establishing an annuity that will provide her with $4,000 per year for the rest of her life. This annuity is a welcome supplement to her retirement income.
In addition, she receives a significant charitable income tax deduction in the year she creates the trust. Catherine also avoided paying an immediate capital gains tax of almost $8,000, which would have been due if she had sold the stocks.
At Catherine’s death, the remaining CRT funds will be given to HSMC as her personal legacy gift.
Charitable Lead Trust
Like a Charitable Remainder Trust, a Charitable Lead Trust can also provide support for HSMC and significant tax benefits for the donor. However, it differs in an important way. A Charitable Lead Trust can make financial gifts to the HSMC for either a specific number of years or for the donor’s lifetime. At the end of this period, however, the assets in the trust typically pass to the donor’s children or their trusts.
Here is an example of how it works:
Grace established a Charitable Lead Trust that makes a contribution to HSMC each year for the rest of her life. These contributions are funded by stocks that Grace no longer needs for her own support. Upon Grace’s death, the assets in the trust will be left to her son Thomas.
The contributions made to HSMC result in a sizable charitable deduction for Gift and Estate Tax purposes. This deduction will also result in a higher proportion of the trust assets being passed onto Thomas with a smaller portion going to taxes.
Additional Options
You may also want to consider making a donation in other ways.
- A memorial gift
- An honorarium gift
- An engraved paver stone
- A photo tile
- Sponsorship of programs
