Establish a Planned Giving Program
You can find comfort in saving lives, helping homeless animals, and leaving a lasting legacy when you establish a personal, planned giving program to benefit our shelter. Planned giving programs often result in larger gifts than would otherwise be possible to help us sustain operations during lean years and plan realistically for the future.
Remember, no gift is too small — even a modest investment or contribution can provide a steady income to help pay for daily operations or new initiatives that assure unwanted animals continue to have a second chance to be adopted into loving and caring homes!
There are many ways to make a charitable gift to achieve your personal objectives. Perhaps you are looking for an opportunity to establish a living memorial for yourself or someone special to you. Some methods also offer financial benefits including tax reduction or even lifetime income from a gift.
We have listed a few types of charitable planned gifts below. Please consult with your financial advisor to consider the methods of giving that are most appropriate for you. To discuss planned giving options to help our shelter, contact our Director of Community Engagement by phone 517-552-8050 during shelter business hours.
TYPES OF CHARITABLE PLANNED GIFTS
BEQUESTS: You may include a provision in your will or living trust to make a bequest to a charitable organization in the form of cash, securities, real estate, personal property, or as a percentage of the estate. If you currently have a will, you can make arrangements to add a gift through a will codicil.
GIFT ANNUITY: This is a deferred gift instrument popular with many donors because it is relatively simple to establish and represents a lifetime contract between the donor and a charity. Simply, it is an irrevocable transfer of cash appreciated property to the Humane Society of Livingston County and, in return, the donor receives a guaranteed lifetime annuity of a fixed amount each year.
CHARITABLE TRUSTS: You might want to establish a charitable trust that could provide income to the donor (or someone else) for a period of time (often for life). After this gift deferral period, the trust would mature and the remaining assets would go to one or more charitable beneficiaries.
APPRECIATED PROPERTY: This is a gift of securities, real or personal property, held long term which has increased in value since the date of acquisition, given outright to Humane Society of Livingston County or as the funding asset for a lifetime income plan.
LIFE INSURANCE: You may wish to name the Humane Society of Livingston County as the beneficiary of an existing policy which is no longer needed for the donor’s original purpose, or to purchase a new policy making the Humane Society of Livingston County the owner or beneficiary.
Because of your donations, the many homeless animals that enter our shelter every year are given a second chance to find their forever home. Without your generosity, we could not provide direct care for over 900 animals each year plus help hundreds more throughout the community.
