Many Cascade Connections supporters want to ensure that their commitment to Cascade Connections carries on after they are gone, so that we can continue to offer vital programs for people in Whatcom County.
Financial arrangements that assist Cascade Connections in helping those in need often can benefit the donor as well. By providing charitable tax deductions and stable income sources, well-planned charitable giving vehicles can significantly enhance your ability to meet financial and estate objectives for your family.
Relevant tax considerations include:
- Bequests and retirement plans
- Charitable remainder trust
- Charitable lead trust
- Life insurance
- Charitable gift annuity
These advantages are described in more detail below and can help you increase your financial gift while also providing for your family’s future.
Bequests and Retirement Plans
Leave your legacy by making a gift to Cascade Connections in your will. A bequest is one of the simplest ways to remember those you care about most. This provision allows you to make a substantial contribution without diminishing the assets available to you during your life. Since bequests are deductible from your taxable estate, significant estate tax savings are possible. Naming Cascade Connections as a beneficiary of your retirement plan also avoids income tax when we receive the distribution from the plan.
Let Us Know: We hope you’ll tell us when you have named Cascade Connections in your will. We would very much like the opportunity to thank you for your generosity. If you prefer to remain anonymous, your gift will be kept completely confidential. But at the same time, recognition of your gift can encourage others to do the same. Whatever the case, we will honor your wishes, because we appreciate your support immensely. And, if you have any other specific requests for a bequest, please contact us at 360-714-9355 for assistance.
Our Federal Tax I.D. number is: 91-1017868
Sample Bequest Language: The official bequest language for Cascade Connections is: “I hereby give to Cascade Connections, a Washington State nonprofit corporation with its principal place of business at Ferndale, Washington: The sum of $________ OR The following described property ________ OR _____ percent of my estate.”
The following special considerations may apply when you plan a charitable bequest to support Cascade Connections.
- Unrestricted bequest: This gift supports our general purposes and may be used at the discretion of Cascade Connections’ Board of Directors. A gift like this (without conditions attached) often proves the most useful because it allows us to determine the most prudent and pressing need for the funds at the time of receipt.
- Restricted bequest: This gift type allows you to specify how Cascade Connections will use these funds. Perhaps you have a special purpose or project in mind. If so, it’s best to consult us when you make your will to be certain that your intent can be carried out.
- Tribute or memorial bequest: This is a gift given “in honor of” or “in memory of” someone. We would be pleased to honor your request and grant appropriate recognition.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
You can use an irrevocable trust to provide yourself and/or a loved one with a fixed annual income or an income which varies with the trust’s value. Part of your charitable remainder trust qualifies for an income tax deduction, as calculated with IRS tables. At the death of the last income beneficiary, the remaining principal in the trust is distributed to Cascade Connections.
Charitable Lead Trust
If you want to provide an inheritance for your children while also making a significant charitable gift through your estate, consider creating a charitable lead trust. This trust allows you to support our organization for a term of years or for an individual’s remaining lifetime. During its term, this trust pays income to Cascade Connections. When the trust terminates, its assets revert to you or to other designated beneficiaries.
Life Insurance
Perhaps you would like to make a sizable contribution to us now, to help meet our current needs, but you don’t want to reduce the estate you leave for your family. Consider purchasing life insurance. When you give a life insurance policy to us by naming Cascade Connections as the owner and beneficiary, the annual premiums paid become a charitable income tax deduction and determine the annual giving-level recognition. Donors may also consider transferring ownership of existing policies to Cascade Connections. Depending on your age, health, and tax bracket, the income tax savings from your charitable gift may be enough to cover the premium cost.
Charitable Gift Annuity
If you would like to support Cascade Connections but current income is a consideration, you can arrange a charitable gift annuity. A gift annuity is a simple, contractual agreement between an individual donor and Cascade Connections in which the donor transfers assets to us in exchange for our promise to pay one or two annuitants payments for life. A gift annuity may be funded by a gift of cash, a certificate of deposit (CD), or securities. A portion of this income is not taxed, and you also receive a charitable deduction for part of your gift as calculated with IRS tables.