The Willows Giving Forward Society
The Willows created The Giving Forward Society to honor and thank those who remember The Willows with a gift in their estate plans. There are many ways to do this. Some have named The Willows to receive a future gift in their will or living trust, while others have named us as a future beneficiary of a life insurance policy, IRA or charitable trust. A variety of options exist.
Most people like to preserve their full control over their assets during life, protecting against future uncertainties. Others may choose to maximize any tax and financial benefits that could result from their philanthropy. It’s all a matter of preference.
In addition, with estate planning, almost everyone will choose to prioritize family and loved ones first, only providing for The Willows after those needs are met. Please know there is tremendous flexibility to accomplish all your wishes in this planning.
Each estate gift, large or small, helps strengthen our Christian Science retirement community in permanent ways. We would love to help you discover how easy this could be.
To learn more, please explore the menu to the left. And if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Deonna Heath at marketing@ewillows.org or (949) 586-5220. All inquiries are held in strict confidence. Please know there will never be any expectation or obligation to complete a gift.
Your Gift - Your Impact
Your gift would help ensure that The Willows will continue to bless both its residents, the wider community and even the world.
Opportunities include:
General Fund – Gifts to this fund will be utilized currently to support area(s) of greatest need at The Willows
Living Generously Fund – This fund is available when there is a short-term need to support a community member or provide activities that enhance the sense of belonging and purpose
Independence Fund – This fund is used primarily to pay for transportation outside of the community to attend church services, and to provide access to shopping, local community events and excursions
General Endowment – Endowment funds will remain permanently invested, with a small percentage allocated annually to support our community
We would love to help you explore the different ways a future gift could impact The Willows. For more information, please contact Deonna Heath at marketing@ewillows.org or (949) 586-5220.
Ways to Give - A Variety of Options Exist
There are many ways to support The Willows with an estate gift, options that help you balance planning for family and loved ones with a chance to give back. The following provides a brief introduction:
Charitable Bequest – By naming The Willows in your Will or Living Trust, you create a gift today that we will receive only when your estate is settled.
Charitable Gift Annuity - You receive a regular payment for life based on the value of assets transferred to The Willows. After a donor’s death, the assets are retained by The Willows. CGAs offer tax deductions on the lump sum gift and the ensuing annuity payouts.
IRA or Retirement Plan – You can name The Willows as a beneficiary of your IRA or workplace retirement plan. To include The Willows, simply request a “beneficiary change” form from your IRA custodian or Human Resources department, complete the form, and then return it according to their instructions. Beneficiary change forms are often available online.
Life Insurance – You can name The Willows as the beneficiary of a new or existing life insurance policy. To include The Willows, simply request a “beneficiary change” form from your life insurance company, complete the form, and return it according to the instructions provided. Again, most companies make beneficiary change forms available online.
Charitable Remainder Trust – In the right situations, a charitable remainder trust can provide powerful financial, tax, and estate planning benefits. You donate assets into trust for the eventual benefit of The Willows. In the interim, the trust pays income to you and/or your designated income beneficiaries.
Charitable Lead Trust – A charitable lead trust can provide support for The Willows, while transferring assets in the future to your heirs with little or no gift or estate tax.
Retained Life Estate – You can donate future ownership of a residence to The Willows, while still retaining the right to live there for the rest of your life.
Any of these estate gifts could help make a significant impact at the Willows, and we would love to honor your support through The Giving Forward Society
For more information about any of these options, please contact Deonna Heath at marketing@ewillows.org or(949) 586-5220. All inquiries are held in confidence. There is never an obligation to complete any gift.
Maximum Flexibility
Revocable Gifts
We don’t know what will happen in the future. However, you can still create a planned gift today while simultaneously retaining control over these assets for the balance of your life. Such gifts are called revocable gifts. You can change your mind. You have total control.
Unless you are confident that you will not outlive your assets, a revocable estate gift is almost always the best option. These gifts are generally one of the following:
Bequest in a Will or Living Trust
Beneficiary Designation in IRA or Retirement Plan
Beneficiary Designation in Life Insurance Policy
Pay-on-Death arrangement for a bank account
By naming The Willows in your will, living trust or as a beneficiary, you can protect yourself against an uncertain future. Should you ever need these assets, they are available. If not, your gift will come to The Willows exactly as you desire.
For more information, please contact Deonna Heath at marketing@ewillows.org or(949) 586-5220. Again, there are never any expectations or obligations to complete any gift.
Maximum Tax Benefits
Revocable vs. Irrevocable Gifts
The IRS provides important tax incentives to encourage support for charitable organizations. To qualify for any given tax benefit, a gift typically must be irrevocable. Stated another way, a gift must be complete and not one a donor could ‘reclaim’ in any way.
Clearly, an irrevocable gift only should be made after proper reflection and consultation with your legal and financial advisors. However, with proper planning, such gifts can provide important income and tax benefits for you and your heirs.
Examples of these gifts include Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts and Charitable Gift Annuities.
The Willows can help you explore the benefits that may result from an irrevocable planned gift. For more information, please contact Deonna Heath at marketing@ewillows.org or (949) 586-5220. Again, there are never any expectations or obligations to complete any gift.
Information For Advisors
It is always appropriate to consult with your professional advisors when considering an estate gift. The following information can help your advisor facilitate any gift you might wish to make:
Legal Name: The Willows Foundation, Inc.
Address: 23871 Willows Drive
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Phone: (949) 586-5220
Website: www.thewillowscommunity.org
Brokerage Information
The Willows gratefully accepts gifts of publicly traded securities. In general, donating securities in appreciated positions will help maximize an individual’s tax benefit, as the associated charitable income tax deduction is typically based on the full fair market value of the security. No capital gains tax would be payable by the donor or The Willows.
For more information about gifts of securities or to request brokerage information for The Willows, please contact Deonna Heath at marketing@ewillows.org or (949) 586-5220.
Recommended Language for Bequests and Testamentary Gifts:
Sample language for a specific bequest to The Willows through a will or living trust:
“I give to The Willows Foundation, Inc., 23871 Willows Drive, Laguna Hills, CA 92653, tax identification number 95-2078512, a California non-profit corporation, the sum of $_______ [or ______% of my estate; or the property described herein], for The Longevity Fund”
Sample language for a residuary bequest to the Willows is:
“I give to The Willows Foundation, Inc., 23871 Willows Drive, Laguna Hills, CA 92653, tax identification number 95-2078512, a California non-profit corporation, all [or ____%] of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, for The Longevity Fund”.”
Beneficiary Designation
A person wishing to support The Willows through a retirement plan, IRA, or life insurance policy, should request a Beneficiary Change Form from his/her company or plan administrator. Beneficiary Change forms are typically available online. Please indicate the desired gift amount or percentage and return/submit the completed form.
Other Arrangements
The Willows also encourages estate gifts through other arrangements, including Charitable Remainder and Charitable Lead Trusts. However, The Willows prefers not to serve as Trustee for these gifts.
Purpose of Gift
People who make estate or outright gifts may designate their gift for a specific purpose. Examples include:
General Fund – Gifts to this fund will be utilized currently to support area(s) of greatest need at The Willows
Living Generously Fund – This fund is available when there is a short-term need to support a community member or provide activities that enhance the sense of belonging and purpose
Independence Fund – This fund is used primarily to pay for transportation outside of the community to attend church services, and to provide access to shopping, local community events and excursions
General Endowment – Endowment funds will remain permanently invested, with a small percentage allocated annually to support our community
Contributions to the General Fund or General Endowment could fund capital improvements which help maintain and beautify our residential community, our food program, transportation needs and more.
Please contact Deonna Heath at marketing@ewillows.org or (949) 586-5220 for more information about these options.
Thank you!
The Willows created The Giving Forward Society to honor and recognize those who remember us with an estate gift. This provides us with an opportunity to say “thank you” during a person’s life.
We also recognize that some donors prefer to remain anonymous regarding a future estate gift. We will honor and respect these wishes in full. In addition, we also seek the opportunity to share our gratitude for an estate gift whenever possible.
In some cases, a client may allow an advisor to share his/her name with The Willows. In others, an advisor can play a helpful role in forwarding a ‘Thank You’ letter to a client, while still preserving client anonymity.
If your client moves forward with an estate gift, we would appreciate any guidance about the best way to share our gratitude. The Willows places great importance on thanking people for their confidence and generosity, while also respecting their wishes for anonymity in every instance.
If you have any questions at all, please contact our Marketing & Development Director marketing@ewillows.org