Many ways to give—your legacy to create.
We welcome the opportunity to work with you and your advisors to evaluate your charitable giving strategy. We are here to help review the many giving options available, each with certain tax benefits and income potential. Every situation is different, so it’s important to examine your charitable goals, lifetime income needs, and family situation.
We hope you will join the UnidosUS Impacto Society, recognizing individuals and couples who support UnidosUS by making provisions in their estate plans.
Charitable bequests
A popular and enduring planned gift is a simple charitable bequest, which is a gift made through your will. Bequests are popular because they give you the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. When you make a charitable bequest, you retain full use of your property during life, so there is no disruption of your lifestyle and no immediate out-of-pocket cost.
To make the process of building your legacy with UnidosUS easier, we’ve partnered with FreeWill: an online estate planning tool. This resource guides you through creating your will or trust in just under 20 minutes. While creating your plan, you can include a planned gift to UnidosUS to support our mission for years to come. Start your legacy today.
Have you already included UnidosUS in your will or trust? Fill out this form so we can thank you for your lasting commitment and ensure our records are up-to-date!
Gifts of stock
Gifts of long term, highly appreciated securities are the most common type of outright property gift. Typically, individual stocks are given; however, bonds or mutual fund shares are also attractive gift options. Outright gifts of securities can be made quickly and these gifts let you do more with your gift because of the very attractive tax benefits.
For appreciated property held long term, the full fair market value of securities given to charity is generally deductible for itemizers. For example, if you give shares of stock that are now worth $10,000, you can deduct the full amount of the gift on your income tax return (subject to certain income limitations), even though you may have bought the stock for $1,000.
A charitable gift of securities held long term is not considered a sale of the securities and does not generate any capital gains tax, no matter the amount of the gain. This is a valuable tax incentive provided by Congress to encourage gifts of appreciated property. The result: a charitable deduction is allowed for capital gains that would have been taxed. And, if we sell the securities, we keep every penny of the proceeds since we are tax exempt. To make your gift, transfer the stock to us—do not sell the stock.
Contact us for more information about gifts of securities.
IRA gifts
A qualified charitable distribution from an IRA is a good way for IRA owners age 70½ and over to support our work. It’s easy to do.
- Instruct your IRA custodian to make a distribution directly to our organization.
- Although there is no tax deduction, the distribution is excluded from your income for federal tax purposes—no tax is due!
- Up to $100,000 of your gift (annual aggregate limit) qualifies for this favorable tax treatment.
- Your gift makes an immediate impact.
- A qualified charitable distribution from an IRA counts toward a donor’s required minimum distribution (RMD) if one is due. Contributions to your IRA after age 70½ can impact the amount eligible for a tax-free transfer.
Gifts of retirement account assets
More and more donors use qualified retirement account assets in their charitable gift planning. The reason: Retirement account assets left to loved ones may be subject to higher taxation than other types of assets.
By using retirement account assets to make a gift (and selecting alternative assets to leave to family members) you may be able to reduce taxes that otherwise would be imposed on those assets and leave more to your intended beneficiaries.
Contact us for more information about gifts of retirement account assets.
Beneficiary Designations
Did you know you may have additional assets not covered in your will or trust? If you have an IRA, 401(k), life insurance policy, or any additional accounts, these are called “non-probate assets” and they need to be planned for separately.
Using the free online tool below, you can log all of your assets, receive printable instructions on how to set each one up with your broker, and even include UnidosUS as a beneficiary to further support our mission to continue fighting for Latinos in this country. Plan your beneficiaries today.
Gifts of life insurance
Life insurance is also an excellent tool for accomplishing philanthropic goals while realizing other important financial objectives. Indeed, life insurance can empower individuals to make charitable gifts they never would have dreamed possible.
Making a gift of life insurance is quite simple. If you are the insured policy owner you simply transfer physical possession of your policy to us and file an absolute assignment or transfer of ownership form with your insurance company. Your company then will send a letter to us showing that we are the sole owner of the policy.
Hypothetical Example
Emmett owns a $100,000 life insurance policy with a cash value of $40,000. No further premiums are due and he no longer needs the coverage. He can assure that we will receive $100,000 at his death by making us the beneficiary. Or he can transfer ownership of the policy to us now. When he transfers ownership, Emmett receives an itemized charitable deduction equal to the lesser of his cost basis or the policy’s replacement value.
Other ways to give
Donor-Advised Fund
Make an irrevocable gift to a fund maintained by a charitable organization and enjoy an income tax charitable deduction for the full amount of the gift. As the name implies, the donor can advise the fund regarding distribution; however, donors may not place material restrictions on the fund.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a trust that can be revoked or changed during your lifetime which directs the disposition of your assets including charitable gifts. A Revocable Living Trust can minimize the cost and delays associated with probate; facilitate asset transfer; provide privacy and, unlike a will, assure asset management continuity in the event of disability.
Closely Held Stock
Donate closely held stock. You enjoy a charitable deduction equal to the appraised value of the stock with no capital gains tax due.
Contact Us
Question not answered? Contact us, we’re here to help!
Lisa Cantu-Parks | Vice President | Resource Development
[email protected]
Become a donor
Your contribution will help fund our work to supporting
policies and projects that support the Latinx community.
