Memorial and Tribute Gifts
Memorial gifts to the Foundation honor someone special while helping to provide essential long-term financial support to our Catholic high schools.

Some people contribute in memory of a friend or loved one, and some people honor a friend or loved one on their birthday, anniversary, graduation, or other milestone. These special gifts provide the Foundation with on-going resources to serve others.

Charitable Remainder Trusts
Charitable remainder trusts allow you to make a gift to the Foundation, typically providing you and your spouse with an income for life. When the trust ends, the full amount is distributed to the Foundation and other beneficiaries you choose.

Wills or Bequests
A will or revocable living trust are popular types of planned gifts because it allows you to direct the distribution of your estate. A trust, like a will, specifies how your assets are to be distributed at your death. A trust, however, avoids the costs and burdens of going through probate. You can leave a specific bequest of a specified sum of money, a particular piece of property, or a percentage of your estate.

Charitable Gift Annuity
Lifetime giving offers you a way to make a gift now and receive a lifetime income for yourself, a spouse, or anyone else you designate. A Charitable Gift Annuity combines a gift with a lifetime income stream, an excellent rate of return, and tax benefits.

Charitable Lead Trusts
This is a special kind of planned giving that allows you to “lend” your assets to the Foundation for a specified period of time, after which the assets pass back to you or your ultimate beneficiaries. Your assets are transferred to a trust that pays a fixed income to The Foundation for as long as you specify.

Life Insurance
Designating the Foundation as beneficiary of all or a portion of a life insurance policy is an easy way to make a significant gift. Doing so entitles you to a charitable deduction from your estate taxes upon your death. You may also qualify for a deduction from your current income taxes.

Estate Arrangements
If you would like to leave your home or other property to the Foundation, but want to continue to use that property for as long as you live, a life estate arrangement may be ideal. With this type of planned giving, you deed your home, farm or other real estate to The Foundation. The deed provides you with a life estate. Upon your death, the estate automatically transfers to the Foundation. If you own property that is fully paid off, has appreciated in value and you no longer have a need or use, such as a second home or vacation property, an outright gift can be made. You can deduct the fair market value of your gifts and avoid all capital gains taxes.

Gifts of Stock
By donating stocks that are highly appreciated and held at least one year, you avoid capital gains tax. Be sure to donate the stocks themselves, not the proceeds from their sale.

Retirement Account
Whether you are in a company pension plan or other private fund, you can accumulate funds beyond your needs to comfortably support yourself and your loved ones. It can be arranged for the Foundation to receive all or just a portion of your retirement assets.

Retirement Assets
Money accumulated in pensions, profit sharing, 401k's and IRA’s can be a substantial portion of your assets and can be highly taxed at your death. When left to the Foundation, estate and income taxation can be reduced and entitle your estate to a tax deduction.

Bank Accounts and CD’s
You can name the Foundation as the payable on death beneficiary of your bank accounts (savings, checking or cd’s) upon your death, the value of the accounts and cd’s pass directly to the Foundation without going through probate.

Outright Gifts
Outright gifts have an immediate impact on the Foundation. These gifts, given in the current calendar year (rather than pledged for the future), include:

Cash
Cash is the most frequently made, as well as the simplest, gift. If you’d rather send a check or money order, you may make it payable to the Foundation for Catholic Secondary Education and mail it to:

Catholic Secondary Schools of Greater Grand Rapids
PO Box 327
Grand Rapids, MI 49501

Securities
Stocks, mutual funds, and bonds - all of these assets can be offered as donations to the Foundation. In addition to providing the high schools with an immediate gift, a gift of securities may provide a greater tax benefit to you than a gift of cash, as you may be able to deduct the full value of the security and avoid the capital gains tax that would accrue if the assets were sold.

Property
Some donors like to make gifts of real estate and personal property in addition to or in place of cash. Real estate includes such things as homes, commercial property and land. “Personal property” broadly defines all items of value and can include jewelry, works of art, collections and much, much more.

As with securities, gifts of property can provide significant tax advantages for the donor. Because each gift is different, we would be glad to discuss your possible donation of property prior to your making the commitment so that you can be sure it’s the right fit for you and for the Foundation.

For More Information
We are always available to provide you with further information and suggestions on gifts that fit in with your lifestyle and philanthropic goals. To learn more about planned giving, please call the CSS Development Office at (616) 233-5977.