Planned Giving: Give the Gift that Keeps on Giving
Planned Giving means designating Coptic
Orphans as a beneficiary in your will, your retirement,
and your insurance policies.
While Coptic Orphans focuses on children in need today, it is vital to ensure
that we can keep our commitment to support these children through their educational
years and prepare for the vulnerable children of tomorrow’s generation.
By establishing a planned gift you can ensure that both the children we currently
support and generations of children to come will receive the tools to break
the cycle of poverty and become change-makers in their communities.
Planned giving can take several forms,
some of which we have outlined for you in the information
that follows. This information is not legal advice
and should not be taken as such. We highly recommend
that you seek the counsel of your financial or legal
advisor before you establish the gift.
Here are some tips for a few types of planned
giving:
Wills and Bequests - Appreciated
Assets - Retirement - Life
Insurance
For further information about how to leave
a legacy for vulnerable children in Egypt through planned
giving, contact us.
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Wills and Bequests
Perhaps the simplest way to establish a planned gift is gifts of cash through
your will. To leave a specified monetary amount you may want to consider the
following wording:
“ I give, devise and bequeath to
Coptic Orphans, P.O. Box 2881, Merrifield, VA 22116,
the amount of $________.”
On the other hand you may decide to leave
a gift by specifying a certain percentage of your entire
estate:
“I give, devise and bequeath to Coptic
Orphans, P.O. Box 2881, Merrifield, VA 22116, _______%
of my estate.”
We can help you ensure that your wishes
are carried out. Mail us a copy of your will at:
Coptic Orphans
PO Box 2881
Merrifield, VA 22116
Appreciated Assets
Although cash gifts are the simplest way to make charitable gifts, they may
not always be the most tax-efficient.
If you were to donate an appreciated asset that you have owned for at least
a year not only would your entire gift be tax-deductible, you may also avoid
having to pay capital gains taxes.
Example: you purchased stock some years
back for a total of $1,000. The current market value
of that same stock is now $5,000. This means that you
have a capital gain of $4,000 on which taxes would
be due if you were to sell it. Donating it, however,
may mean that you don’t have to pay those taxes.
Examples of appreciated assets:
Appreciated securities
Publicly traded stocks or other investments that have been in your possession
for more than a year are generally not exposed to capital gains taxes and
you would be getting an income tax deduction based on the market value
of the gift on the date that it was made;
Real estate
Real estate tends to appreciate over time and may be exposed to capital gains
taxes if the holdings were to be sold.
Given as a donation could reduce the chances of a capital gains tax and would
also ensure a tax deduction based on the fair market value of the property.
Donations of real estate would have to be reviewed by Coptic Orphans first.
Other assets
Personal property and other like assets can be donated but would have to
be considered by Coptic Orphans on a case by case basis in case the asset
is not one that Coptic Orphans can easily take on.
Retirement
A retirement plan is considered part of the taxable estate at death, and could
be exposed to up to or more than 70% taxes. By making Coptic Orphans the
beneficiary of your retirement plan, you can ensure that the amount becomes
completely tax deductible.
Life Insurance
Life insurance enables you to leave a very significant donation to the children
at a very low cost to you. Planned giving using life insurance can take three
forms. You can name Coptic Orphans as a beneficiary to your current insurance
policy, you can gift a fully paid policy to Coptic Orphans or you could purchase
a life insurance policy in Coptic Orphans’ name. Donations to Coptic
Orphans in the amount of the premium can qualify for up to a 50% deduction
against adjusted gross income.