Friends of Big Bend National Park

Deferred Gifts Give Immediate Benefits

There are many reasons people give to charitable causes like Friends of Big Bend National Park:  to further an organization’s work; a desire to preserve a place of distinction; to improve the quality of life for others; and tax savings.  But in almost every case a donor gives in order to obtain an optimum mix of monetary, social, and moral values from their assets. Here are some examples of how the Friends stand ready to help you achieve your objectives through deferred giving options.

Charitable Bequests

By designating the Friends of Big Bend National Park as a beneficiary of $5,000 or more in their Wills, donors can affect a lasting legacy for the Park and receive acknowledgement for it today through membership in the Legacy Society-an exclusive membership division of the Friends reserved for donors of larger gifts.

Charitable bequests may be made in the form of currency, securities, or other property, and may be a specific dollar amount or a percentage of a donor’s entire estate. Language most appropriate for making a bequest gift is best provided by your attorney or estate planning advisor.

By providing a bequest to the Friends in your Will or a codicil to your Will, and upon notifying us in writing that such provisions have been made, you will become eligible for invitation to the Legacy Society and participation in its member events.

Deferred Gift Annuities

Many people have stocks and real estate that have appreciated in value over the years but, because of the prospect of incurring capital gains taxes, are not available to produce more income for them today. If this reflects your situation, what can you do?

Establish a Gift Annuity agreement with the Friends of Big Bend National Park, and receive guaranteed fixed quarterly payments for life to you and/or another beneficiary. For advice about how a Gift Annuity would work in your situation, it is suggested you consult an attorney or estate planning expert.

Another way to benefit the Park is to create a Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust. Subject to what you may learn from your attorney or estate consultant, you can receive a fixed amount for the rest of your life (and that of an additional beneficiary), or for a term of years not in excess of 20 years. Your payout rate is based on standard actuarial tables. The advantage of such an agreement is that you can deduct the value of the remainder interest at the time the property is transferred to the trust. A second advantage is that you can avoid paying capital gains tax on a gift of appreciated property. Upon the death of the last plan beneficiary, the assets remaining in the trust will be transferred to Friends of Big Bend National Park.

As you may confirm with your estate planning advisors, by establishing a Charitable Remainder Unitrust, you can receive a fixed percentage of the trust assets rather than a fixed dollar amount. That is, the payments to income beneficiary(ies) will fluctuate with the value of the trust assets. While the advantages of a unitrust are similar to those of an annuity trust, the unitrust also provides a hedge against inflation. It also offers the advantage of flexibility in that additional contributions are permitted-allowing, among other possibilities, a future will pourover. Again, at the death of the last beneficiary, the Friends will receive what remains of the trust property.

If you’d like to learn more about how these and other deferred giving options might benefit Big Bend National Park, please contact
Courtney Lyons-Garcia, Executive Director
432/ 477-2242
or
PO Box 200
Big Bend National Park, TX 79834-0200.