PLANNED GIVING

Whether supported through an outright gift or planned gift, all Red Cross programs are made possible through the generosity and commitment of people like you. A planned gift to the Red Cross helps to ensure the future of the services and programs we provide in your community and worldwide and may further your financial goals.

What are planned gifts? Planned gifts include gifts through your will, charitable gift annuities, gifts of life insurance, pooled income funds, and charitable trusts.

Gift Calculator

Bequest
Many of our supporters make charitable gifts by naming the Red Cross as a beneficiary in their wills. The federal government encourages these gifts or bequests, by allowing an unlimited estate tax charitable deduction. Click here for more information

Life Income Gift
Family obligations and the need to provide for retirement, coupled with the high cost of living, make it difficult for many people to consider substantial charitable gifts now. But there is a way to have the satisfaction of making a meaningful lifetime gift without sacrifice. In fact, you can get current income tax and financial benefits. It is called a life income gift. You irrevocably transfer some assets to the Red Cross now, and in return, you (and a survivor, if you wish) receive income for life. As a result, the assets are used to carry out our mission. Click here for more information

Gift of Life Insurance
Some of our supporters no longer need their life insurance that was purchased years ago to provide for children or other family members. If that is your situation, please consider donating the policy to the American Red Cross. You may claim a charitable deduction for approximately the policy's cash surrender value, and the proceeds are completely removed from your estate.

Pooled Income Fund
Your gift of money, marketable securities, or both to the American Red Cross's pooled income fund is invested together with similar gifts from other supporters. Each year, you receive your share, which is taxable as ordinary income, of the fund's earning.

For example, Mr. Simon's $10,000 life income gift is invested in our pooled income fund. The fund's net income is 6 percent this year, so he receives $600--his share of the annual earnings. Each year, Mr. Simon's payment will reflect any increase or decrease in the fund's net income.

Gift of Retirement Plans
Many individuals today have large qualified retirement plans such as an IRA, 401(k), or Keogh plan. These assets have been growing tax-free for years. Once the owner begins to receive payments from the qualified plans, the distributions are taxed. The plans are also included in the owner's taxable estate. A retirement plan may be an excellent source of funds for making a gift to the American Red Cross.

One way to make a gift of your retirement plan is to create a charitable remainder trust through your will. It works like this: Your IRA assets will be transferred to a charitable remainder trust. There is no tax due because the charitable remainder trust is a tax-exempt entity. The trust will provide life income to the beneficiary (for example, your child) with an eventual gift to the Red Cross. The beneficiary will pay income tax on the distributions from the trust. Your estate will receive an estate tax charitable deduction for the value of the Red Cross's right to eventually receive the trust assets.