Endowments can be made by either an outright gift of cash or other property, or through the use of planned giving techniques. Planned giving involves including the Valley-Shore YMCA in your overall financial and estate plan. This can often lead to substantial benefits to the donor and the Y, including reducing or eliminating income, estate, capital gains, and gift taxes. There are many different types of planned gifts—some offer an income stream to you for life, others may help you control the method or timing in which assets are passed to your heirs. Check with your tax or legal advisor to find out which one might be right for you.

The endowment fund is important because:

• It generates a stable flow of charitable income to secure Y programs for future generations
• It promotes long-term planning to help maintain vital YMCA programs
• It protects principal amounts, even during economic fluctuations

Heritage Club
Anyone who makes a planned gift to the Valley Shore YMCA becomes a member of our exclusive Heritage Club. Members will be invited to an annual appreciation dinner, named on our Heritage Club wall plaque, recognized in our newsletter, and invited to other special events.

Cash donors to the endowment fund may be recognized on our donor wall with a special tile or, if they sponsor a program, with a special photo wall montage, as well as the benefits listed above.

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Types of Planned Gifts

Wills
An easy way to help the Valley-Shore YMCA increase its endowment fund is to name us in your will, after you have made sure that your family and friends are well taken care of. This has several advantages:

• Charitable gifts made through your will are free of estate tax
• A charitable bequest may place your estate in a lower tax bracket

You may specify that your bequest to the Valley-Shore YMCA be used for general purposes or for a particular area of interest (camping, or sports, for example).

Once you notify the Valley-Shore YMCA of your bequest intention, you qualify for membership in the Heritage Club.

Retirement Plans
Did you know that your retirement plan benefits are facing double taxation? If you leave the assets to your heirs, you'll generate "income in respect to a decedent." So not only is the amount diminished by estate taxes, but your heirs will also have to pay income tax on it!

A gift of your retirement plan also has several benefits:

• Naming us the primary beneficiary avoids ALL income and estate taxes
• Your estate gets partial savings when you give us a specific amount before giving family the remainder
• Naming us the contingent beneficiary allows for greater flexibility
• Donating retirement plan assets could be the most cost-effective gift you can make

Other Methods
There are a variety of trusts and other vehicles for making a gift from your estate to the Valley-Shore YMCA. Each has different benefits, ranging from reduced taxes to providing you and/or your heirs an income stream for life. In some cases, the benefit to making a gift actually outweighs the cost to the heirs because of the tax savings.

For More Information
Our Development office will be happy to answer your questions and provide you more information about various gift options. Give us a call at 860-399-9622 or check with your personal tax or legal advisor about which options might be right for you.