Planned Giving
Planned Giving provides a unique opportunity to arrange your future support now by designating a future gift to Kol Ami through a variety of tax-deductible provisions.
A Planned Gift is a gift you choose to commit to now, but which is realized in the future.
The most common ways of Making a Planned Gift are:
- A bequest by means of your will
- A Charitable Gift Annuity
- A gift through a life insurance policy
- A Charitable Trust
- A gift through your Retirement Fund, including proceeds from Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) or Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs)
- A gift of real estate
The best part of making a planned gift is that it allows you to identify organizations like Kol Ami that are important to you now, and arrange to support them in the future by leaving a lasting legacy with virtually no cost to you during your lifetime. Planned gifts do not create an immediate financial obligation or burden to you, and in fact, can help save you money.
Donors who choose to make planned gifts to the Kol Ami automatically become members of the Kol Atid Legacy Society. This society, from the Hebrew "Kol Atid," meaning "Voice of Our Future," recognizes those generous donors who have the foresight to provide for the future. Membership in the Kol Atid Legacy Society provides Kol Ami with the opportunity to extend its gratitude to individuals who notify us of their thoughtful gift intentions while they are living.
Confirmed planned gifts allow Kol Ami to develop future programs with confidence - knowing that there will be a future base of support helping to ensure Kol Ami’s continued leadership in providing innovative and inspirational programs for the congregation.
Help us plan today for Kol Ami’s future.
To arrange your Planned Giving Support of Kol Ami, please complete the Planned Gift Commitment Form and/or contact our office at 905-709-2620 or admin@kolami.ca
Ways to Make a Planned Gift
Bequests
One of the most common and easiest ways to provide a lasting legacy is to include a bequest provision in your will. As it is a simple process to revise your will, bequests allow the most flexibility and security should your personal circumstances or plans change.
Types of Bequests:
Outright - funded with specified assets such as cash, securities, real estate or personal property;
Residual - provides a share of the remainder of your estate after your heirs have been provided for;
Contingent - distributes property only if you outlive your heirs;
Testamentary Trusts - provides one or more heirs with income for life, after which the assets are transferred to Kol Ami.
Gifts of Life Insurance
One of the most convenient ways to make a planned gift is to name Kol Ami as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy that may no longer be needed for you and your family. A gift of life insurance can provide a significant benefit to Kol Ami in the future, at a modest cost to you today.
Charitable Gift Annuities
A charitable gift annuity is a contract between, as an example, Kol Ami and a donor specifying that, in return for a gift of cash or marketable securities, Kol Ami will provide the donor and/or another beneficiary, with fixed payments for life. The payment rate is based on the age of the beneficiary at the time the gift is established.
Endowments - Creating a Legacy
Donors may also choose to designate their planned gifts to establish a named endowment with a gift of $50,000 or more to Kol Ami. Endowment gifts support the mission and vision of Kol Ami in perpetuity since the capital amount is invested and only a percentage of the income is spent, thereby providing a lasting legacy.
Different Kinds of Bequests
A carefully prepared will can help make sure all reasonable provisions have been made for your dependants. Your will can be a convenient way to make a charitable gift to an organization that is important to you. A will also helps minimize taxes at the time of death.
Bequests can be in the form of cash, real estate, securities, tangible personal property or other assets. Here are some types of bequests, using a gift to Kol Ami as an example:
Specific Bequest
Kol Ami would receive a specific dollar amount from your estate, or a stated percent. The advantage of making a specific gift is that it can be precisely identified and is simple to administer.
Residuary Bequest
Kol Ami would receive a percentage of the remainder of your estate. The actual value is sensitive to any changes in the value of your estate.
Sample wording -- Here is some suggested language to provide for Kol Ami in your will. Similar wording would be used to designate others you would like to provide for in your will.
Unrestricted Bequests
I give to Kol Ami $______ for use as it may deem appropriate.
I give to Kol Ami____% of my estate for use as Kol Ami may deem appropriate.
I give to Kol Ami all of the residue of my estate for use as it may deem appropriate.
Restricted Bequests
I give to Kol Ami $_____(or) ____% (or) all of the residue of my estate to be used for the following:______________________________________ OR to establish a named endowment* in the name of: ____________________ to support this broadly designated area of work: ______________________.
An outright distribution of cash or other property is a convenient way to remember friends, relatives or a charity such as Kol Ami. You should consult your charity(ies) of choice to ensure that they are properly named and to make sure your bequest can be used as you intended it.
*If the value is over $50,000
Wills and Bequests
Planning your will is one way of ensuring you provide for those you care about. In addition to planning for those you love and depend on you, your will also allows you to benefit charitable organizations such as Kol Ami through a gift of money, property and/or other assets.
Many people are reluctant to plan their estates, and believe they won't need a will until years into the future. But death can come unexpectedly, and, unfortunately, the person you may wish to receive your estate and look after your family may be involved in the same tragedy.
If you already have a will - you are on the right track. You obviously understand the value of having a well-planned estate. A will makes it much easier for your family and friends to receive money and valuable possessions you leave behind. Without a will, provincial laws determine who receives what. If you do not have blood relatives, it is likely your provincial government will receive your estate, instead of the friends or organizations you wish to benefit. By preparing a will, you are in control and you get to decide how your estate is distributed.
Consider reviewing your current will
If you already have a will, you would be wise to consider updating it if any of the following statements are true:
It has been 3 years or more since I last reviewed my will | |
My will was drawn up when I lived in a different province or country | |
There has been a birth in the family | |
There has been a death in the family | |
There has been a change in my marital or my health status | |
The beneficiaries named in my will are no longer living | |
The estate trustee and/or alternative named are no longer living | |
I would like to add or subtract beneficiaries | |
There have been changes in my asset base |
Life Insurance Gifts
A gift of life insurance is a simple, thoughtful and often overlooked way to make a gift to Kol Ami. Insurance allows you to make a more substantial gift without taking on a large expense.
By taking out a new life insurance policy and naming the Kol Ami as owner and beneficiary, you will receive tax receipts for the annual premium you pay. Existing policies that have finished serving their original purposes can have the ownership and beneficiary designation transferred toKol Ami. A tax receipt will be issued for the cash value.
There are several advantages:
- A planned gift of life insurance saves you tax dollars today. Not only is this important to a donor who is looking for immediate tax relief, it also means that you can make sure that the tax-deductible limit is not exceeded.
- Your estate is not diminished to your heirs, because life insurance, by its very nature, creates an additional, separate 'estate'.
- Life insurance is not subject to probate costs or delays in settlement. The full proceeds are payable to Kol Ami at maturity or death.
- Life insurance is not a matter of public record. You can plan, arrange and announce the gift yourself and you will know that it will occur just as you planned.
- Unlike a will, this type of gift cannot be contested.
- Allows you to contribute significantly to the programs and services that Kol Ami runs.
We recommend you discuss your gift intentions with a life insurance agent to determine which type of insurance best suits your needs. When you are ready to proceed, Kol Ami would be pleased to assist you in completing your gift.