Planned Giving

Making a gift in your will or living trust, known as a bequest, can guarantee that your legacy endures and continues to help improve children’s lives. Your gift may be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after all other provisions are specified.

Below is suggested language to use when writing your bequest.

Unrestricted:

"I give to Mountain States Children’s Home, a Colorado nonprofit organization located at 14780 North 107th Longmont, Colorado 80504, Federal Tax ID #84-0516736, or its successor thereto, _________ (written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property).

This bequest is unrestricted and the Board of Trustees or other governing body of the organization may use and expend the same for the benefit of the Mountain States Children’s Home in any manner it deems appropriate."

Designated (or Restricted):

To designate your provision for a particular purpose:

"I give to Mountain States Children’s Home, a Colorado nonprofit organization located at 14780 North 107th Longmont, Colorado 80504, Federal Tax ID #84-0516736,

_________ (written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property).

This gift should be used for _________ (indicate specific purpose).

If, in the judgment of Mountain States Children’s Home, it shall become impossible or not prudent to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purpose of this bequest, the Board of Trustees or other governing body of the Foundation may use it for a purpose consistent with the original purpose as stated above."

If you have named Mountain States Children’s Home in your will or trust, please let us know so we can ensure that your gift is used according to your wishes. Notifying us of your plans will also enable us to be good stewards of the future of MSCH.

If you have built a substantial estate and are looking for ways to receive reliable payments, consider a Charitable Remainder Trust. This type of trust provides you or other named individuals with income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create. At the end of the trust term, the balance in the trust goes to Mountain States Children’s Home.

These types of gifts offer you tax benefits and the option for income.

• The Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT) pays you, each year, the same dollar amount you chose at the start. Your payments stay the same, regardless of fluctuations in trust investments.
• The Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. The amount of your payments is redetermined annually. If the value of the trust increases, so do your payments. If the value decreases, however, so will your payments.

Making a difference today and saving on taxes are both possible when you support Mountain States Children’s Home through your IRA. For those 70½ years of age and above, here is a special opportunity to change a child’s life forever!

A donation of insurance may be a greater benefit to you and Mountain States Children’s Home than a cash gift. It may reduce your taxable estate, saving estate taxes for upper-income taxpayers.

MSCH will receive the entire face amount of the policy upon the death of the insured. No limits exist on the size of the policy that may be donated because charitable donations have no ceiling for estate tax purposes.

Gifting Policy Dividends makes it possible for policyholders to receive the dividends paid to their life insurance policies in cash and donate them to charity. The dividends donated are deductible in the same manner as premiums paid on a gifted policy, and this strategy does not require any additional cash expenditure from the donor.

There are various methods for making life insurance donations and each has its own unique advantages. Always consult your attorney or advisor when deciding what plan of giving is best for you.

Want to make a gift to Mountain States Children’s Home without touching your bank account? Consider a gift of real estate, such as a personal residence, vacation home, farm, commercial property, or undeveloped land. Such a generous gift helps us continue our work for years to come. And a gift of real estate also helps you.

When you give Mountain States Children’s Home appreciated property you have held longer than one year, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction and you may minimize or eliminate capital gains tax. And you no longer must deal with that property's maintenance costs, property taxes, or insurance.

Another benefit: You don't have to bother with selling the real estate. You can deed the property directly to MSCH or ask your attorney to add a few sentences in your will or trust agreement.

Ways to Give Real Estate:

An Outright Gift

When you make a gift today of real estate you have owned longer than one year, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction equal to the property's full fair market value. This deduction lets you reduce the cost of making the gift and frees cash that otherwise would have been used to pay taxes. By donating the property to MSCH, you also eliminate capital gains tax on its appreciation.
A Gift in your Will or Living Trust

A gift of real estate through your will or living trust allows you the flexibility to change your mind and the potential to support MSCH programs with a larger gift than you could during your lifetime. In as little as one sentence, you can ensure that your support for MSCH continues after your lifetime.

A Donor Advised Fund

When you transfer real estate to your donor advised fund, you avoid capital gains taxes and qualify for a federal income tax deduction based on the fair market value of the property when you itemize your taxes.

A Retained Life Estate

Perhaps you like the tax advantages a gift of real estate to MSCH would offer, but you want to continue living in your personal residence for your lifetime. You can transfer your personal residence or farm to MSCH but keep the right to occupy (or rent out) the home for the rest of your life. You continue to pay real estate taxes, maintenance fees, and insurance on the property. Even though MSCH would not actually take possession of the residence until after your lifetime, since your gift cannot be revoked, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction for a portion of your home's value.

A Charitable Remainder Unitrust

You can contribute any type of appreciated real estate you've owned for more than one year, provided it is unmortgaged, in exchange for an income stream for life or a term of up to 20 years. The donated property may be a residence (a personal residence must be vacant upon contribution), undeveloped land, a farm, or commercial property. Real estate works well with only certain variations of charitable remainder trusts. Your estate planning attorney, who will draft your trust, can give you more details.

A “Bargain” Sale

You would sell your property to MSCH for an amount less than what it is worth. The difference between the value and the amount sold would be considered the gift to MSCH. This can be an effective way to get rid of a property that has increased in value and a way to receive a lump sum of cash and a charitable deduction at the same time.