Thank you for considering planned giving. We hope the information below is helpful to and your family as you consider your future giving plans.
Legacy/Planned Giving
For many of our donors, legacy giving is the perfect way to express support for our hunger-relief efforts. Legacy gifts help us to secure and distribute food and groceries to those in need, raise public awareness of hunger in our country, and promote viable solutions to the problems of hunger and waste.
Legacy gifts often provide financial benefits to the donor, too. Tax savings, current cash payments, supplemental support for family and friends – these and other benefits are available depending on a donor's circumstances and objectives.
An Introduction to Legacy Giving
A legacy gift results from the donor's careful consideration of a number of important factors, including the purpose of the gift, the assets to be used to fund the gift, the gift's timing, its effect on income-tax and estate-tax planning, and its effect on the donor's family members and friends. A legacy gift is best made with the counsel of one's legal, tax or financial advisor.
Feeding America provides information on legacy giving as a guide to help our donors choose the approach that works best for them. Please consider this site as a resource to help you meet your philanthropic goals. The information provided here is for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered investment, legal, accounting, tax or other professional advice.
To speak with an individual philanthropy officer about legacy giving and/or planned giving, please contact us at plannedgiving@feedingamerica.org or 1.800.771.2303 x 6642.
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The van Hengel Society
The van Hengel Society honors individuals who make legacy gifts to benefit Feeding America. The Society brings together supporters who seek to establish a strong foundation for a hunger-free America.
John van Hengel changed the way the world approaches hunger when he started the world's first food bank in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1979, John helped to establish Feeding America (then called Second Harvest), laying the foundation for an organization that now feeds more than 23 million people every year.
Members of the van Hengel Society receive a certificate of membership, special reports about the latest initiatives of Feeding America and acknowledgement in our annual reports.
Please contact us at plannedgiving@feedingamerica.org or 1.800.771.2303 x 6642 for more information about becoming a member of the van Hengel Society.
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Bequests Made Through Wills or Revocable Living Trusts
A bequest is often the most realistic way for many donors to make a significant contribution to Feeding America. We are pleased to provide the following information to help you and your attorney establish your estate plans.
Why Create A Will or Revocable Living Trust?
Wills and revocable living trusts are very important estate planning tools. Either allows you to name guardians for your minor children and to determine who will receive your property after your death, in what amounts and proportions and under what circumstances. Tax considerations also may affect the provisions of your will or living trust.
You have an opportunity in your estate plan to provide not only for your family and friends, but also for charity. Besides cash, you may also leave stocks, bonds and other types of property to charity.
Engage Legal Counsel
Most experts agree that hiring an attorney with experience in estate planning will save you and your beneficiaries time and money in the long run. While you determine what goes into your will or trust, your attorney will make sure it is a proper legal statement of how you wish your possessions to be distributed.
Types of Bequests
When writing or updating your will, you can also make a real difference in the fight against hunger in America by naming Feeding America as a beneficiary.
Here are some common bequest options you can use:
• Specific bequest: Determine a specific dollar amount or asset that you wish to leave to Feeding America.
• Residual bequest: After you have provided for your loved ones, name Feeding America to receive a percentage or all of your residuary estate.
• Contingent bequest: Feeding America receives a bequest only in the event of the death of other beneficiaries.
To speak with an individual philanthropy officer about leaving a bequest to Feeding America, please contact us at plannedgiving@feedingamerica.org or 1-800-771-2303 x 6642.
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Gifts that Pay Income for Life (Gift Annuities and Charitable Trusts)
Many of our donors provide generous support for Feeding America and enjoy lifetime income and significant tax benefits by establishing charitable gift annuities and charitable trusts.
A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract between you and Feeding America. In exchange for your irrevocable gift of cash, securities or other assets, Feeding America agrees to make fixed cash payments (in quarterly installments) for the life of one annuitant, usually the donor, or the lives of two annuitants, typically the donor and the donor's partner. Payments begin immediately after the gift is made. Annuitants must be 65 years of age or older.
With a deferred payment gift annuity, your income payments begin at a future date that you specify. Because payments are deferred, you will receive a higher annual income, which may be used as a source of guaranteed retirement income. Annuitants must be 35 years of age or older at the time the gift is made.
Financial benefits of gift annuities may include a federal income tax charitable deduction, reduced and deferred capital gains tax on appreciated property, reduction of one's taxable estate, and enhanced cash flow.
The minimum contribution required to establish a gift annuity is $10,000. Cash, stock, mutual fund shares, real estate or other property may be used to fund an annuity. Your annuity is administered by Feeding America at no cost to you. Feeding America follows the American Council on Gift Annuities' suggested rates.
A charitable remainder annuity trust (CRAT), an irrevocable trust, typically provides income to one or two beneficiaries, the remainder going to charity. The donor specifies in the trust document how income is to be determined. You may add funds to your trust whenever you like. Each year, a fixed percentage of the trust's current value is paid to your income beneficiaries.
With a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT), a fixed amount of the fair-market value of the trust, determined annually, is paid out. The amount paid will vary with the investment performance of the trust.
Through a charitable lead trust (CLT), you can provide for the future transfer of assets to your heirs in a tax-efficient manner, while providing investment income to Feeding America for a set period of years.
Financial benefits of charitable trusts may include a federal income tax charitable deduction, reduced and deferred capital gains tax on appreciated property, reduction of one's taxable estate, and enhanced cash flow.
To speak with an individual philanthropy officer confidentially or to request a complimentary, no-obligation gift illustration, please contact us at plannedgiving@feedingamerica.org or 1-800-771-2303 x 6642.
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Gifts of Beneficiary Designations
A beneficiary designation is the simplest way to make a legacy gift to Feeding America. When you complete your beneficiary designation form, just name Feeding America as a full or partial beneficiary and provide our tax identification number. In addition, these gifts bypass probate and go directly to all beneficiaries.
Here are some common designation options:
• Retirement plans [e.g., traditional IRA, Keogh, 401(k)]: Including Feeding America as a beneficiary enables you to avoid substantial income taxes that would have been due if a retirement plan were left to non-spousal heirs. It is strongly advised that you name Feeding America as a beneficiary of a retirement plan through your designation form and not through your will, which may jeopardize tax benefits.
• Insurance policies: There are a number of ways you can name Feeding America as a beneficiary of an insurance policy, whether through your employer or a separate policy that you hold. Such a gift may provide you with current and future tax benefits.
• Savings accounts: Designating Feeding America as a beneficiary of a savings account is simple and allows full use of savings during your life.
For more information about beneficiary designations, please contact us at plannedgiving@feedingamerica.org or 1-800-771-2303 x 6642.
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Donating Real Estate
Our staff will work closely with you and your advisors to facilitate a gift of residential or commercial real estate or time shares. Through a retained life estate arrangement, you can donate a remainder of interest in your home to Feeding America and retain lifetime residency rights for you and your partner. A gift of real estate may result in significant tax benefits while providing major support for our hunger-fighting work.
Please contact us at plannedgiving@feedingamerica.org or 1-800-771-2303 x 6642 for more information about donating real estate.
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Endowment and Memorial Gifts
You can pay lasting tribute to loved ones through gifts made in their names to the Feeding America Endowment Fund. Unrestricted gifts to our endowment fund will sustain our core programs and be listed in our annual report. Cash, stock, mutual fund shares, life insurance, real estate or other property may be used to fund endowment gifts.
For information about planned gifts, please contact us at plannedgiving@feedingamerica.org or 1-800-771-2303, ext. 6642.
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