A planned gift to the Institute for Humane Studies will allow you to provide for the long-term economic security of the people and causes you hold dear, as well as meet your current and future financial goals.
Whether you would like to take advantage of reductions in estate, income, or capital gains taxes, or to benefit from an increased income stream, there is a planned gift that suits every purpose. The following chart lists some of the gift opportunities available to help you meet your goals.
To begin the process of making a planned gift to IHS or to find out more about the planned giving opportunities described below, please contact Dan Butler, Director of Development, at 703-993-4945 or dbutler4@gmu.edu.
| Your Goal | Your Gift | Your Benefits |
| Increase income with fixed quarterly payments |
Charitable gift annuity | Current and future income tax savings, fixed payments for life |
| Defer a gift until after your lifetime | Bequest in will | A donation exempt from estate taxes |
| Secure a fixed and often increased income | Charitable remainder annuity trust | Immediate income tax deduction and fixed income for life |
| Create a long-term hedge against inflation |
Charitable remainder unitrust | Immediate income tax deduction, annual income for life that has potential to increase |
| Reduce gift and estate taxes on assets passing to heirs | Charitable lead trust | Reduce size of taxable estate, keeps property in family, often with reduced gift taxes |
| Make a large gift with little cost to yourself |
Life insurance gift | Current income tax deduction, possible future deduction |
| Avoid twofold taxation of retirement plan assets | Retirement plan gift | Avoidance of heavily taxed gifts to heirs, allowing less costly gifts |
Giving Through Charitable Gift Annuities
A gift annuity is a simple, contractual arrangement between you and IHS. Through an annuity, you make a gift of cash or other appropriate property, and we pay you a generous fixed quarterly payment for life. Your payment is based on your age at the time of the gift and will never be lowered, cancelled, or delayed.
With a gift annuity, you are entitled to an income-tax deduction in the year of your gift. Additionally, a portion of your annuity payment is tax-free, so the effective rate of return, including tax savings, is often higher than other market rates.
It is possible to make IHS a beneficiary of your estate through your will. If you are making a new will, you can simply include IHS among the beneficiaries of your estate. If you already have a will, you can add IHS as a beneficiary of your estate through a codicil.
When making IHS a beneficiary of your will, you have several options. You could specify a specific amount of your estate to be given to IHS, a percentage of your estate, a residual or "what's left" of your estate after providing for your loved ones, or a particular asset that you believe will be useful to us. If your estate is subject to estate taxes, a bequest to IHS in your will can be deducted from your estate and can result in significant tax savings.
Giving Through Charitable Trusts
The concept of a trust was developed to help in the transfer of property over time when multiple interests and objectives are involved. A trust is best thought of as an "artificial person" that is allowed to own and manage property for a specified period of time.
A charitable trust may be appropriate if you have cash or other property valued at $50,000 or more. There are several trust arrangements that allow you to make a substantial gift to IHS and provide for you and your loved ones' financial needs, each with its own tax savings opportunities.
There are a couple ways you can support the IHS with a gift of life insurance. One method is for you to purchase a while life insurance policy and designate IHS as the owner and beneficiary of the policy. In this case, you can receive a charitable income tax deduction for your annual premium payments.
Another method is to transfer ownership of a fully paid life insurance policy that you no longer need to IHS. In this case, you can receive an income tax deduction for the cash surrender value of the policy.
Giving Through Retirement Plans
Though your retirement plan is designed to support you in your retirement, high estate and income taxes can be imposed on the owner and beneficiary if you pass away before the funds are exhausted. You can reduce or eliminate this tax burden by naming IHS as beneficiary of all or part of your retirement plan.