Planned giving.

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Your preplanned charitable giving can make a powerful difference.

Planned Giving is Powerful Giving.

Planned giving offers thoughtful and strategic ways for individuals to support Lifegate Church, leveraging various financial tools and arrangements. These strategies provide donors with opportunities to leave a lasting impact while potentially gaining financial advantages. Lifegate Church, committed to its vision of 40 campuses in 40 years, can greatly benefit from these planned giving strategies:

The following are strategies that offer donors flexible and tax-efficient options to support Lifegate Church's mission while potentially enhancing their overall financial plans. By leveraging these opportunities, donors can maximize the impact of their charitable contributions while optimizing their tax liabilities, ensuring Lifegate Church's continued growth for years to come.

Resources on Planned Giving and Estate Management

Here are three documents that can help provide you with a better understanding of planned giving and your next steps.

What is Planned Giving? (PDF)

Writing Your Will (PDF)

Types of Planned Giving (PDF)

Types

Bequests via Will

A bequest is a gift made through a donor's will, specifying that a portion of their estate or a specific asset goes to Lifegate Church upon their death. It is a straightforward and impactful way to leave a legacy while potentially reducing estate taxes. Donors can choose between a percentage of their estate, a specific amount, or a residual bequest after other distributions.

Beneficiary Designation on Retirement Accounts

Donors can designate Lifegate Church as a beneficiary of their retirement accounts, such as IRAs or 401(k)s. This strategy allows donors to support Lifegate Church while potentially reducing income and estate taxes on retirement assets that would otherwise be subject to multiple layers of taxation.

Beneficiary Designation on Life Insurance

Similarly, donors can designate Lifegate Church as a beneficiary of their life insurance policies. This simple strategy ensures that Lifegate Church receives a future gift without affecting other assets designated for heirs.

Donating Appreciated Securities

Donating appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual funds directly to Lifegate Church allows donors to avoid capital gains taxes on the appreciation while still receiving a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the securities. This strategy can be particularly advantageous for donors who hold highly appreciated assets and are looking to diversify their portfolio or rebalance their investments.

Qualified Charitable Distributions

For donors aged 70½ or older, QCDs provide a tax-efficient way to support Lifegate Church directly from their IRAs. Up to $100,000 per year can be transferred from an IRA to Lifegate Church as a QCD, which counts towards the required minimum distribution (RMD) but is excluded from the donor's taxable income. This can result in significant tax savings, especially for donors who do not itemize deductions or who are subject to income limits on charitable deductions.

Donor Advised Funds

Donor Advised Funds are charitable giving accounts administered by public foundations or financial institutions. Donors can contribute assets, receive immediate tax benefits, and recommend grants to Lifegate Church over time. This strategy allows donors flexibility in timing their charitable contributions while potentially maximizing tax advantages.

Charitable Gift Annuities

Charitable Gift Annuities enable donors to make a gift to Lifegate Church in exchange for regular fixed payments for life. Donors receive an immediate charitable deduction and benefit from stable income during retirement. This strategy provides both financial security and the satisfaction of supporting Lifegate Church's mission.

Charitable Remainder Trusts

CRTs allow donors to place assets into a trust, which then provides income to the donor or other beneficiaries for a specified period. Afterward, the remaining assets are transferred to Lifegate Church. This strategy can offer significant tax benefits, potential income growth, and the assurance of supporting Lifegate Church's long-term goals.