Charitable Gift By Will
Bequests of cash, personal property or real estate are the most common type of estate gift.  These gifts are not subject to federal estate tax.

Charitable Remainder Trusts
By establishing an irrevocable trust, your gift provides an annual income to you, the donor, and/or to another person for life or for a certain period of time.  These trusts may be set up by the donor’s will. 

Donors often choose to direct the income to a family member for life, or for several years, at which time the principal is directed to a favorite charity.

Life Insurance or Retirement Benefits
You may decide to name your favorite charity as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy. Or, you might consider making the charity the owner of a life insurance policy to benefit from current income tax advantages.  A charity can also be designated as the beneficiary of a profit-sharing plan, IRA, or other retirement plan.

Real Estate
The gift of your home is a truly generous act that can happen whenever you choose.  Your residence is owned by the charity and you retain the right to live in the home for the rest of your life.

Charitable lead trusts
This type of trust pays annual income to a charity for a set number of years.  After that time, the principal of the trust reverts to you or a person designated by you.  The income paid to the charity is not taxable to you.

Talk with a trusted financial advisor before finalizing your estate plan.  If you need references, ask your attorney, banker or insurance agent.