Winchester Thurston School
Winchester Thurston SchoolWAYS TO LEAVE A LEGACY AT WT
There are many different ways to create a legacy at Winchester Thurston. Planned giving encompasses different tools and strategies to increase your impact. Here, we’ll explore popular techniques like naming WT in your will or trust, legacy giving that can generate income in your lifetime, and other strategic, potentially tax-advantageous, methods for you and your loved ones.
LEGACY GIFTS
Bequests
One of the most popular planned giving methods is naming WT in your will or estate plan. This can either be as an outright dollar amount or a percentage of your total estate, and as easy as adding language to your existing plan.
Beneficiary Designation
An often-overlooked and simple way to make a substantial impact that will not affect your current income is naming WT as a beneficiary of your retirement accounts, life insurance, or Donor Advised Fund. To update your beneficiary designation, contact the administrator of your policies or accounts.
INCOME GIFTS
Charitable Remainder Trust
A Charitable Remainder Trust is an irrevocable trust that will provide either fixed or variable income to you or a loved one for a specific period of time. When the trust terminates, the remainder will be transferred to Winchester Thurston for the purpose set forth in the establishing document. In other words, Charitable Remainder Trusts both help to secure the long-term future of WT, while providing the you or those you care about with a defined benefit for life.
OTHER PURPOSEFUL GIFTS
Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)
Winchester Thurston is able to accept contributions from your Donor Advised Fund. Please contact us for information regarding giving from your DAF. Additionally, when working with your DAF administrator, make sure to have a succession plan in place and consider updating your charitable beneficiaries to include WT.
Appreciated Assets
If you’ve made savvy investment decisions, using appreciated assets to fund a gift to WT may have considerable tax advantages for some donors. Giving appreciated securities, tangible personal property, or real estate can help in minimizing capital gains tax while supporting WT’s priorities.
Charitable Lead Trusts
A Charitable Lead Trust is an irrevocable trust that will generate either fixed or variable payments to Winchester Thurston for a set term of years. When the trust terminates, the property will be transferred back to the grantor or other beneficiary set forth in the establishing document. A gift like this helps WT in the near-term, may allow your assets to grow before transferring to the beneficiary.
Gifts from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA)
Commonly referred to as an IRA Charitable Rollover, or Qualified Charitable Contribution (QCD), donors aged 70½ and older can give up to $100,000 annually to charity, without having to pay income tax on these funds. Additionally, for donors aged 72 and older are able to count these contributions from their IRA (up to $100,000) toward the donor's annual Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). At any age, you can name WT as a beneficiary of all or part of your retirement account. Contact your IRA administrator to update your beneficiary information.
Including Winchester Thurston School in your will or trust, or adding WT as a beneficiary of an insurance policy, Donor Advised Fund, or retirement plan will earn you membership in the Miss Mitchell Society. Want to learn more? Contact Monica Manes Gay, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement at 412-578-3746 or gaym@winchesterthurston.org.