By including Ethos in your estate and financial planning, you can help elders throughout Boston far into the future. Here are a few planned giving opportunities:
Including Ethos in your will or trust. You can choose to leave a specific dollar amount, designate that a percentage of your estate be given through your will or living trust, or give only the remainder, or residue, of your estate –that which remains after bequests to loved ones have been made. The following is a suggested form for such a bequest:
“I give and bequeath to Ethos, a not-for-profit corporation, with principal offices presently located at 555 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, the sum of $___, to be used for the accomplishment of its general purposes (or for a specific purpose, as indicated).”
Naming Ethos as a beneficiary of your life insurance. Life insurance policies are an easy and often overlooked way to make a meaningful charitable gift. This can be done by naming Ethos as the beneficiary of a current policy, transferring the ownership of a paid-up policy to Ethos, or taking out a new policy that names Ethos as the owner and beneficiary.
Making a Gift of Retirement Assets. Retirement assets are one of the most mutually beneficial gifts you can give to Ethos. Contributions that have been made over the years to an IRA or other qualified plan have been growing tax-free within the plan. If left to an individual, these funds may be subject to both estate tax and income tax, which greatly reduces the value of the asset. If left to a charity, such taxes are usually avoided.
If you have any questions, please contact Ray Santos, Community Relations Director at 617.477.6638 or email rsantos@ethocare.org. We also encourage you to consult your attorney or financial planning advisor before making any type of planned gift.