You can plan a thoughtful gift.

Planned giving is a way of making a charitable gift where some thought and assistance are needed to complete the donation. The assistance can come from an attorney, your stockbroker, tax advisor, insurance agent or a gift planning officer at a charitable organization. The thoughtfulness comes from what you want your gift to accomplish for Girl Scout programs, camps, camperships, or training.

Planned gifts offer endless variety to help you make a gift commitment while deriving other benefits, be they an income-for-life or tax assistance, or the satisfaction of knowing your charitable legacy will live on.

Planned Gifts include:

• The 1% Planned Gift – The easiest planned gift to make.  Simply designate 1% (or any percentage) of an insurance policy you control to the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island, Inc.  You can keep your family and loved ones as beneficiaries while making a charitable planned gift.  An insurance Change of Beneficiary form can be obtained from your agent or your company’s Human Resources Department.
• Donating Appreciated Securities – Giving stock that you have held for more than one year is an excellent way to make a gift.  You may avoid capital gains tax when donating stock, and the charitable deduction is based on the stock’s fair market value, up to 30% of your adjusted gross income.
• Making a Bequest in Your Will – Once your family and loved ones have been provided for, a charitable bequest in your will is a thoughtful way to leave your legacy.  Bequests can take several forms:  stated dollar amount, percentage, specific asset (such as a savings bond or real estate), a charitable gift annuity fund to provide an income-for-life for a loved one, or a residual portion of your estate (what’s “left over”).  We encourage you to always seek legal counsel when creating or revising your will.
• Charitable Gift Annuities – A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract in which the donor makes a personally significant gift and receives an income-for-life in exchange.  The fixed annuity rate a person receives is based upon her/his age at the time the gift annuity is created.
• Charitable Trusts – Created with the help of certified legal and financial advisors, trusts are a good way to manage assets.  The types of trusts available vary widely, but the three most commonly used for charitable purposes are living trusts, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable lead trusts.
• Life Insurance – Donating life insurance is a creative way to make a meaningful charitable gift.  Some options are:  giving a paid up policy; giving a policy that you are still paying premiums on; assigning the dividends to Girl Scouts of Rhode Island; purchasing a new policy to guarantee a pledge, or designating Girl Scouts of Rhode Island as a beneficiary.
• Retirement Plans – Many Americans have IRAs or 401(k) plans that have greatly appreciated in value.  Should you not live to realize all of that account, it makes sense to consider naming a charity to receive some of the asset.  Contributions to some retirement plans are sheltered from income tax, but your heirs may not be sheltered when they inherit a plan’s income (known as “Income with Respect to a Decedent” or IRD).  IRD tax exposure can be as high as 70% of the payments received!   Contact your tax advisor to assess how vulnerable your heirs may be to this tax burden, and consider making your charitable bequests from IRD assets.

If you are interested in considering a planned gift, we encourage you to speak with your family’s financial and/or legal advisors in order to find the vehicle that best suits your needs.  For general information, the Planned Giving Design Center has excellent resources, including a planned giving calculator.

 If you would like more information about planned giving or have made a planned gift and would like to ensure that it is restricted to a particular program or fund, contact Nicole Kelly, Assistant Executive Director, Funding and Communications, at 401-331-4500 x1312 or nkelly@gsri.org.