Planned Giving Opportunities

Careful planning of your gift to St. Jude School can help maximize the benefits to you and to St. Jude School. Federal income, estate and gift tax laws encourage individuals and their families to make gifts to charity. The following paragraphs summarize some of the ways you can gift St. Jude School and take advantage of tax savings.

I. Gifts
If you make an outright gift of cash, appreciated stocks and other securities, personal property or real estate, and your total deductions exceed your maximum permitted federal deductions for one year, you can claim the excess as deductions on your federal tax return in the five subsequent years.

• Cash Gifts
  The full amount of a cash gift up to 50% of your adjusted gross income can be deducted for income tax purposes in the year the gift is made.

• Gifts of appreciated stock and other securities
  If you donate appreciated stock or other securities to St. Jude School, you can avoid gains tax on the difference between the price you paid for the stock/securities and their current value the date the gift is made. You can also deduct the current market value of your stock/securities gift, up to 30% of your adjusted gross income.

• Gifts of personal property and real estate
  If you make a gift of personal property to St. Jude School, you would be credited with a contribution valued at the fair market value. For real estate, this would be ordinarily ascertained by a real estate appraiser.

II. Deferred Gifts
You may choose to name St. Jude School as the recipient of a major gift in the future. Such deferred gifts can be tailored to your personal circumstances while helping you achieve important reductions in your current personal income taxes and estate taxes. Some deferred giving opportunities include:

• Life Insurance
  Donors who no longer require the protection of life insurance policies acquired years ago may realize immediate tax savings by transferring them to St. Jude School and naming St. Jude School the irrevocable beneficiary. Or, an easy way to assist is to make St. Jude School a beneficiary, part of entire, of an existing policy. An alternative way is to take out a new life insurance policy, naming St. Jude School the owner and irrevocable beneficiary and you make tax deductible annual payments on the policy.

• Life Income Gifts
  With a life income gift, you assign cash, stock and/or other securities, real estate or other assets irrevocable to St. Jude School. They are invested to pay a lifetime percentage or fixed amount to you, to succeeding beneficiaries, or to whomever you designate. Income is paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually and is taxable to the beneficiary. Upon the death of the last surviving beneficiary, the school may use the assets either as needed or for a specific purpose which you have designated. The benefits of a life income planned giving program are even more attractive as a result of recent legislation. A life income gift gives the donor a substantial charitable deduction against taxable income in the year you make the gift, even though it continues to produce income for you during your lifetime. The most widely used income plans are the Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust and Charitable Remainder Unitrust.

• Bequests (Wills)
  Gifting to St. Jude School by will, whether in the form of cash, stock/securities or other property may be fully deducted in determining federal estate taxes and inheritance taxes. The following is suggested phraseology for a gift/bequest to St. Jude School. “I hereby give/bequeath to St. Jude Elementary School, Chattanooga, TN. (State gift or bequest) to be used (or net income to be used) at the discretion of the school or for the following purpose___________________”

For more information please call Director of Development, Kathie Etherton – 877-6022

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