What is Charitable Planned Giving?

Charitable planned giving refers to the process of making a charitable gift of your estate assets to one or more nonprofit organizations - a gift that requires consideration and planning in light of the donor's overall estate plan. The most effective way of making a charitable gift is to plan the gift so that it achieves as many personal objectives as possible.

Planned Gifts

Benefits to the Donor:

• Make possible a more significant gift than would otherwise be possible.
• Shelter current income through substantial tax deductions.
• Opportunity to establish a living memorial for yourself or someone special to you.
• May provide retirement income.
• Reduce federal estate taxes and probate expenses.
• The satisfaction of leaving a legacy of saving lives.
  

Benefits to the Washington Humane Society:

• Result in larger gifts to support our vision of ending euthanasia of adoptable animals.
• Help WHS plan realistically for the future.
• Build endowment to fund growth and expansion.
• Secure operation of programs by stabilizing future budgets during lean years.
• Assure that unwanted animals will continue to have an opportunity for a second chance at life in the years ahead.
• Provide the satisfaction of having helped others to effectively plan their estates and care for the animals.

Benefits to the homeless animal community:

• Freedom from abuse and neglect.
• A chance to be adopted into a loving and caring family.

Types of Charitable Planned Gifts

Bequest
A person could include a provision in his or her will or living trust to make a bequest to a charitable organization. That arrangement would be a "planned" gift. A gift in a will, will codicil or trust could be in the form of cash, securities, real estate or personal property, or as a percentage of the estate. If you currently have a will, you can add a gift through a will codicil.

Gift Annuity
One deferred gift instrument is the charitable gift annuity. This is popular with many donors because it represents a lifetime contract between the donor and a charity, and because it is relatively simple to understand and establish. Simply, it's an irrevocable transfer of cash or appreciated property to WHS and in return the donor receives a guaranteed lifetime annuity of a fixed amount each year.

Charitable Trusts
A person might establish a charitable trust that could provide income to the donor (or someone else) for a period of time (often for life). After this gift-deferral period, the trust would mature and the remaining assets would go to one or more charitable beneficiaries.

Appreciated Property
This is a gift of securities, real or personal property, held long-term which has increased in value since date of acquisition, given outright to WHS or as the funding asset for a lifetime income plan.

Life Insurance
A person may wish to name WHS as the beneficiary of an existing policy which is no longer needed for the donor's original purpose, or to purchase a new policy making WHS the owner or beneficiary.

Did You Know…

• that bequests can take many forms? One may bequeath a specific amount of money or property; a specified percentage of the estate; or all or part of the residue of the estate - the assets remaining after debts and specific bequests have been satisfied.
• that donors receive a lifetime of income from both gift annuities and charitable trusts? Both provide income to the donor for his or her lifetime, then the remaining amount in the fund is transferred to WHS.
• that our nation's tax laws offer special incentives for gifts of non-cash property, such as securities or property? This is especially true if the property has increased in value since acquisition.
• that you pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation of securities that are donated to WHS? You also receive an income tax deduction for the full market value of the gift.
• that you can give property outright or retain rights to ownership for a set period? This may be attractive to a donor considering leaving property to WHS through a will, but would like to transfer the gift now to receive the income tax advantages and increase cash flow.
• that there are two ways to donate life insurance? The first one is to make the Washington Humane Society the owner of the policy. This allows you an immediate charitable tax deduction. The second option is making WHS the beneficiary of the policy. When you name WHS as the beneficiary of your policy, it does not entitle you to any immediate tax savings, but you will qualify later for an estate tax charitable deduction.

Designated Giving

If you wish, you may designate your gift to one of our special purpose funds.

Fund for Humane Education
This temporarily restricted fund supports the operation and expansion of our Humane Education Program.

Sophie's Fund for Emergency Medical Care
Contributions to this fund, which is a temporarily restricted fund, will be used to provide medical attention to the animals in our care.

WHS also has several permanent endowments. The income generated by these endowments is used for animal needs, both general and specific. Contributions may be made to any of the following permanent endowments.

General Endowment
Gifts may be made to this permanent endowment that supports all programs and services provided by the Washington Humane Society.

Feline Friends Fund to Save Cats
WHS will use these funds to address the problem of cat overpopulation, eliminate the abuse and neglect of cats, and promote increased adoption of cats through existing programs such as our Spay/Neuter Program, Adoptions Program, Outreach and Humane Education Programs, and by creating new programs to address specific issues. The terms of this endowment require a minimum contribution of $1,000. Resources from this fund will not be used for euthanasia.

Canine Companion Fund
This fund will be used to promote the welfare of adoptable and potentially adoptable dogs in the District of Columbia. Resources from this fund will allow us to eliminate abuse and neglect, end overpopulation and do more for dogs in need of medical attention and behavioral training. Funds will be allocated to increase adoptions and outreach, increase our Spay/Neuter Program, Humane Education, Shelter In-House Training, and Behavioral Programs to enhance adoptability. The terms of this endowment require a minimum contribution of $1,000. Resources from this fund will not be used for euthanasia.

William Blair, III Fund for Humane Law Enforcement
The income generated from this permanent endowment is used exclusively to support our Humane Law Enforcement program.

If you would like information sent to you by mail, or wish to speak to us about your will, please contact:

Peter Larson, Director of Annual Giving
Washington Humane Society
7319 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20012
202-723-5730, ext. 206
Plarson@washhumane.org