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PLANNED GIVING

What is a planned gift? The term “planned giving” refers to charitable gifts that require more thought and planning than the typical charitable contribution. Planned gifts are popular because they can provide you with valuable tax benefits and/or income for life while helping to ensure the future of the services and programs we provide at The Hatlen Center.

Bequest
You can make a charitable gift by naming The Hatlen Center for the Blind as a beneficiary in your will. For example, you can transfer a specific asset, such as stock or real estate. You can also leave a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of your estate to The Hatlen Center.
Sample Bequest Wording:
I bequeath to The Hatlen Center for the Blind (Tax ID# 94-2478967):

  • the sum of $__________, or
  • _____percent of my estate, or
  • the following property: ____________________, or
  • the rest, residue and remainder of my estate.

If you have already prepared your will, your attorney can easily include The Hatlen Center as a beneficiary by adding a codicil.

Please let us know if you are remembering The Hatlen Center in your will or trust fund. This information helps us plan for the future and enables us to honor you as a member of our Legacy Society.

Charitable Gift Annuity
A Charitable Gift Annuity is very easy to establish by completing a simple one-page document. A gift annuity for The Hatlen Center will mean a lifetime income for you, paid quarterly or annually at attractive rates that are determined by your age. If you are interested in generating more spendable income, you might want to convert low-yielding CDs to a gift annuity for The Hatlen Center, where you will get a higher payout rate that never changes. Other Charitable Gift Annuity benefits include substantial income-tax deductions and tax-free income. In addition, if you fund your Charitable Gift Annuity with appreciated stock, you will reduce capital gains tax on the increased value of your investment. A gift annuity also eliminates all gift and estate taxes associated with the funds you give to The Hatlen Center.

Example: Don and Susan T, both 72, have been getting a 4.5% return on a $50,000 CD at their local bank. It will be maturing soon, and they are discouraged to learn that the rate offered for renewal is just 1.75%. They would like to make a meaningful gift to The Hatlen Center and generate income to meet their own needs, so they decide to transfer the $50,000 to us for a gift annuity that will pay them 5.3%, or $2,650, each year as long as either of them is alive. Better still, almost $1,780 of their annual income will be tax-free for the balance of their life expectancy. In addition, they are entitled to a charitable deduction of more than $16,500, saving them more than $5,775 in their 35% tax bracket.

Gift of Life Insurance
If you no longer need life insurance that was purchased years ago to provide for children or other family members, you can donate the policy to The Hatlen Center for the Blind. Any benefits The Hatlen Center receives from your insurance are excluded from your taxable estate.

Gifts of Retirement Accounts
Your IRA assets can be transferred to a charitable remainder trust; the trust will provide life income to the beneficiary.

Real Estate
Donations of real estate may include a personal residence, vacation home, apartment building, commercial property or land. You may retain a life interest in your personal residence, gifting ownership to The Hatlen Center after your lifetime.

Gifts of Stock
Gifts of appreciated stock not only support The Hatlen Center but also permit you to bypass the capital gains tax. In addition, you are eligible for a charitable income tax deduction for the full appreciated value of the stock, resulting in additional savings.

**Donors should consult with their own attorneys or other financial advisors for tax and legal advice when considering any type of planned gift.**

We can help answer your questions regarding planned giving. Just give Patty Williams a call at The Hatlen Center, at 510-234-4984, or e-mail Patty at pwilliams@hcblind.org. Thank you for supporting The Hatlen Center for the Blind.