Making a planned gift through the Los Alamos Community Foundation allows you to invest in the future of the community you love. Review the information below as you consider establishing your gift, and contact us with any questions about how we can help you strategically accomplish your future financial and charitable objectives.
Who can make a planned gift? Anyone with a desire to give can make a planned gift. You can give assets like IRAs, securities, real estate, insurance benefits, and cash. You may be surprised to learn how easy it is to create a lasting legacy that can preserve your family name, honor loved ones, support a favorite nonprofit, minimize tax burdens, and/or support the community you call home. Bequests to the Los Alamos Community Foundation are exempt from estate taxes.
What good work can I do with my planned gift? You can support the arts, enrich education for our youth, protect the environment, provide food, clothing, and shelter, or foster economic development. The options are limitless as long as the purpose is charitable in nature. You may want to provide a gift with flexibility. By making an unrestricted or field of interest gift, you ensure that your gift will provide the maximum benefit to the community. It will be used to respond to the prevalent needs of the community generation after generation. Your planned gift can be directed to any of the Los Alamos Community Foundation’s existing funds or, with a bequest or gift of at least $10,000, a new named fund can be established.
How will the proceeds of my fund be used to benefit the community? LACF will invest the principal of your gift and make grants from the earnings annually. If your gift creates unrestricted capacity, the Los Alamos Community Foundation will use the annual distribution to make impact grants that align with pressing needs or compelling opportunities. Funds for specific nonprofits will be distributed directly to the organization each year.
When should I include the gift in my estate plan? Anytime you are drafting or changing your will or estate plan, you may want to consider charitable legacy gifts. Your financial or legal advisor can provide professional guidance related to your specific estate, beneficiaries, income goals, taxes, and other considerations.
How do I plan an estate gift? Call your financial advisor, estate planner, or the Los Alamos Community Foundation. We provide confidential philanthropic services to prospective donors and their professional advisors, without pressure or obligation. Giving a planned gift is simple:
- You include a bequest or planned gift to the Los Alamos Community Foundation in your will and notify us.
- Upon your death, we establish a fund in the name you have chosen or direct your gift to the Los Alamos Community Foundation fund that you have recommended.
How do I notify LACF of my planned gift? The process is very simple. Once you have made provisions for naming the Los Alamos Community Foundation as a beneficiary, please complete a Bequest Intention Form that clarifies your commitment and communicates your wishes. If you like, we could also work together to prepare a memorandum of understanding. While it is not required, it does allow you to further clarify your intent for your planned gift. As an additional alternative, you may decide to establish a fund during your lifetime, which will allow you to begin seeing the impact of your philanthropy. Your fund can then be the beneficiary of your future planned gift.
