Planned Giving

Leave a legacy with lasting impact that can also increase benefits for you and your family. By making a planned gift, your commitment to supporting children, women, and families connected to adoption will echo for generations to come. Learn more about the gift options Spence-Chapin offers to determine which plan best serves you and your family in reaching your financial and philanthropic goals.

Bequests and gifts by will

One of the most popular types of planned giving is a bequest, otherwise known as a gift made through your will. There are many reasons why bequests are one of the most common forms of giving: you retain full use and control of your assets and are not subject to any out-of-pocket costs during your lifetime, you may be entitled to reductions in your loved ones’ estate tax burden, and your bequest is an opportunity to leave a legacy. 

A bequest also allows you the flexibility of designating a specific asset, sum of money, percentage of an estate, or a remainder after you provide for other beneficiaries, to go to Spence-Chapin. If you want to support a specific program, like the Granny Program or the Special Needs Adoption Program, you can designate how you want your bequest to be used. Alternatively, an unrestricted bequest will be used where it is needed the most. Reach out to a financial professional to learn more, and request information from Spence-Chapin by emailing us at development@spence-chapin.org.

Retirement Assets and Life insurance

You can designate a portion or all of your retirement plan or life insurance policy to a charitable beneficiary like Spence-Chapin, allowing you to grow your legacy while helping alleviate the potential tax burden on your heirs.  

If you believe your retirement savings plan is more than sufficient to meet the needs of your family, allocating some of those assets for charitable purposes can help ensure a lasting legacy. Another option to consider is giving a life insurance policy to a charitable organization, which can be a powerful way to amplify the size of your gift. Ask your financial planner or a tax professional about retirement assets and charitable gift planning to help guide your way. Email us at development@spence-chapin.org for more on how this gift could help children and their families as well as request information about our process.

Charitable Remainder Trusts

A charitable remainder trust (CRT) allows you to fulfill your philanthropic goals, receive an income stream for you and your family, and benefit from immediate tax deductions. 

A CRT can be set up with assets from a variety of sources, including cash, publicly traded securities, real state, and more. You or your stated beneficiaries would then receive income on an annual, semi-annual, quarterly or monthly basis until the end of the trust’s terms, at which point the remainder of the assets would be distributed to Spence-Chapin as part of your legacy.

Talk with your financial advisor to determine if a charitable remainder trust works well with your estate plan. You can also request more information from us at development@spence-chapin.org.