PLANNED GIVING
LEAVING A LEGACY
Planned giving involves making arrangements now to have Kitten Rescue benefit from some of your assets, either currently or in the future. Through this type of giving, individuals can often make a more significant gift than they ever thought possible, while maximizing the financial and tax benefits to you, your estate and your family.
A planned gift can be as simple as transferring long-term, appreciated stock to Kitten Rescue directly, or naming Kitten Rescue as a beneficiary in your will or life insurance policy. It is a meaningful way to carry forward your love and compassion for animals, and a wonderful way to say thank you to every animal who has touched your life. Here are some planned giving options to consider.
Bequests In Your Will
The easiest way to benefit Kitten Rescue is to include us in your will. Whether you have vast amounts of assets or only a few possessions, a will prevents legal complications and delays. It directs your personal representative to deal with your estate as you wish. A will also allows you to provide for the animals you care about after your death. Whether this means your own animals or those at Kitten Rescue, your will can continue a legacy of kindness.
If you decide to support Kitten Rescue through your will, you can direct a specific “bequest” of money or an asset (e.g. stock, a house) to Kitten Rescue, or designate a percentage of the total value of your estate. You can also designate a “residual bequest” that specifies Kitten Rescue receive the remainder of the estate, or a portion of the remainder, after all expenses and other bequests have been made.
Naming Kitten Rescue as a Beneficiary
Some assets — such as life insurance policies, IRAs and other qualified retirement plans — are not handled through your will and require you to name a beneficiary. Consider making Kitten Rescue a full or partial beneficiary. For example, you can name Kitten Rescue as a beneficiary if you have a life insurance policy that is no longer needed to provide for dependents, or as a beneficiary of a Certificate of Deposit (CD).
If you simply liquidate these assets, they are taxed more heavily than other assets, sometimes greater than 50%. However, by designating Kitten Rescue as the beneficiary instead, the full value of the account will pass on to Kitten Rescue. Because of this, these plans can be excellent choices for planned giving.
Remainder Interest in a Personal Residence
You can give your personal residence to Kitten Rescue, while specifying that you (and/or another person) be permitted to continue using the property for remainder of your life. This can result in a sizable tax deduction for you, depending upon the age(s) of the person(s) in question.
Before deciding on what type of gift you might make to Kitten Rescue, please consult with your attorney. Nothing on this website should be construed as legal advice. Please contact your attorney or financial advisor to determine what is best for your personal situation.
Kitten Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our tax ID number is 95-4670174. For more information, or to let us know if you have already included Kitten Rescue in your estate plans, please email Sandra Harrison at sandra@kittenrescue.org. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential and imply no obligation to make a gift.