Planned Giving
Planned Giving Opportunities
Planned giving provides a number of opportunities that allow a supporter’s kindness and commitment to the homeless animals at AHHS to continue for years to come. You can have an impact on the animals here today as well as those who will arrive at the shelter in the future. This type of giving may also help you achieve specific financial goals. Your attorney can guide you in selecting an estate gift that will maximize your tax benefits and may even be able to provide you with income during your lifetime. *Please consult your financial advisor and attorney about which planned giving opportunities are right for you. The animals at AHHS greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness and continued care.
There are several planned giving options. *The information provided is general in nature and not intended as legal advice. Again, please consult your financial advisor and attorney about which planned giving opportunities are right for you.
Bequests
Leave a legacy for homeless animals through your will
AHHS as Beneficiary
Make a significant gift to homeless animals without using your estate’s capital
Living Trusts
Arrange to help homeless animals
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Perfect for donors with significantly appreciated assets
Charitable Lead Trusts
Great giving tool for donors who exceed annual limits on income tax deduction for charitable gifts
Real Estate / Property
Gifts of appreciated real estate/property can be given to AHHS through a will or living trust
Bequests
Remember, where there’s a will there’s a way … to save thousands of lives.
Perhaps the most straightforward planned giving option is to make a bequest in your will. After providing for your loved ones, a provision in your will to leave a gift to the Almost Home Humane Society (AHHS) will give you great satisfaction knowing that your future gift will help save the lives of homeless animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, birds, etc. in our community. Charitable bequests through wills are popular because they are easy to make and can be changed at any time. Bequests can include cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, or other property and may be identified in several ways:
Specific Bequest: Directs a specific dollar gift or property to pass to AHHS. Percentage Bequest: Designates a percentage of the total value of the estate as a gift to AHHS. Residual Bequest: Directs that AHHS receive the remainder of the estate, or a portion of the remainder, after all expenses and other bequests have been made.
AHHS as Beneficiary
People often find that they have more life insurance than they really need. For example, their children may be grown and life insurance that was purchased to provide education funds is no longer needed. A life insurance policy makes a good charitable gift. The gift can easily be made by naming the Almost Home Humane Society (AHHS) as the policy’s beneficiary and/or owner. Your charitable deduction will be approximately the cash value of the insurance policy at the time of the gift.
Retirement funds that neither you nor your family will ever use may be accumulated. If so, you may name the Almost Home Humane Society (AHHS) as the beneficiary of a qualified retirement account, causing the funds in that account to be distributed directly to AHHS upon your death. This gift will not be reduced by estate taxes, and will support AHHS’s mission. Your employer or retirement account manager can easily help you add or change beneficiaries.
A retirement account gift can benefit both your heirs and you. You will retain full control of the funds while you are alive, should you need to use them; and you will avoid paying estate tax on those funds. By leaving estate assets other than the retirement funds to your heirs, your heirs will not be required to pay income tax on the transfer of the retirement plan.
To be sure that all applicable regulations are followed, you should obtain the assistance of a qualified professional advisor. If your advisor or you have any questions, please contact AHHS.
Living Trusts
Many people use a revocable living trust to manage their assets while they live. The trust may also continue after death, distributing assets and managing them for loved ones.
You can also make gifts to the Almost Home Humane Society (AHHS) with a living trust. You can arrange for a yearly charitable gift to AHHS out of the earnings of the trust. Upon your death, you may want to bequeath all or part of the remaining assets in the trust as a charitable gift to AHHS as well.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
A charitable remainder trust is one of the more complex estate planning options but provides the donor great flexibility. Charitable remainder trusts can be a nice option for those who own significantly appreciated assets (such as rental property) and want to receive income for life. The donor transfers the asset to the trust, where it is sold, avoiding capital gains tax. The proceeds are invested with the donor or other beneficiary receiving payments for life or a set term. At the end of the trust’s life, the remaining principal is gifted to AHHS.
*To set up a charitable remainder trust, please consult your attorney or estate planner.
Charitable Lead Trusts
In a charitable lead trust, the Almost Home Humane Society (AHHS) receives the income interest for a specified number of years. At the end of the trust, the remaining principal is returned to the donor or another family member. The income that is paid to AHHS may be either a fixed amount or a fixed percentage of the annual value of the trust. At the time the trust begins, you or your estate will receive a charitable gift or estate tax deduction for the percentage payable to AHHS.
A charitable lead trust can be valuable in estate planning, because although income tax benefits of such a trust are often minimal, the estate and gift tax savings may be significant. Therefore, a charitable lead trust is often set up to begin upon the death of the donor. It may have extra value to family members when the assets are likely to appreciate substantially in value over the life of the trust. Charitable lead trust may make sense for donors who exceeded the annual limits on income tax deduction for charitable gifts.
*To set up a charitable lead trust, please consult your attorney or estate planner.
Real Estate/Property
Real estate or property which has increased or appreciated in value can be gifted to the Almost Home Humane Society (AHHS). Often, your return from the real estate is small and operating costs, such as property taxes and maintenance, continue to rise. Should you sell the appreciated real estate, you will have to pay capital gains tax on the appreciated amount, considerably reducing your net gain from the sale. By making a gift of the real estate to AHHS, you may be able to deduct the full market value of the property, including all appreciation.
Please note that some legal requirements exist that you will need to meet in order to make a charitable gift of real estate. AHHS will be happy to assist you and your attorney or other professional advisor to comply with these requirements.
