Everything You Need to Know
about Planned Giving Donations
What are Planned Gifts?
Planned gifts are contributions that you can arrange in the present and are paid out in the future. Planned gifts may include charitable trusts, annuities, and other tools that provide a steady income to donors while they are still living. Our legacy planned gift program is built on strong relationships and provides you with support to help navigate the set-up of your planned gift.
Life Income Gifts
Life income gifts are unique because you can donate your assets to the Morning Star Foundation now and provide yourself or others with an income stream for a period of time before the Foundation is permitted to utilize your gift. Life income gifts can be made by transferring securities, cash, or other property to the Morning Star Foundation or a trustee. The Foundation or trustee will then manage the investment of the assets and pay a scheduled income to you, your designated beneficiaries, or both. Income payments can continue for up to twenty year or the remaining life of the beneficiaries.
As Chief Executive Officer, I am the person responsible for cultivating relationships with individuals who may be interested in planned giving. I work alongside our board to develop and carry out our strategic plan that includes mechanisms for potential donors to make planned gifts. My perseverance, commitment to the mission, and passion for nonprofit work is what fuels our success. I’d be happy to sit down, get to know you in person, and share more information about our planned giving program with you. If you’re interested in learning more about planned giving, let’s have lunch soon!
Julie Webster, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
Meet Our Chief Executive Officer
Types of Life Income Gifts
Charitable Gift Annuities
With a charitable gift annuity, you make an upfront charitable donation to the Foundation in exchange for a fixed annual payment paid to you or your beneficiaries for life.
Charitable Remainder Unitrusts
When you form a charitable remainder unitrust, you and your designated beneficiaries will receive variable annual payments from the Foundation for life or a specified period of time. The assets remaining at the end of the term will be transferred to the Foundation for the purposes you designate.
Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts
Donors who create a charitable remainder annuity trust benefit from fixed annual payments for life or a specified period of time. The remaining assets at the end of the term are transferred to the Foundation for the purposes you designate.
Pooled Income Funds
With a pooled income fund, your donation is placed into an investment fund that operates similarly to a mutual fund. The returns from your investment are paid to you or your beneficiaries for life. Upon your death, the donation is withdrawn from the pooled income fund and used to support your designated purpose at Foundation.
Other Types of Planned Gifts
Charitable Lead Trusts
A charitable lead trust provides annual payments to the Morning Star Foundation for a specified period of time. Once the term ends, the remaining assets will transfer to your children or other designated beneficiaries.
Donor Advised Funds
If you’re not sure exactly how you’d like Morning Star Foundation to use your donation, you may want to consider a donor advised fund. These provide a way for you to establish a fund with your tax-deductible gift now, and advise us later on how you’d like the funds allocated. With a donor advised fund, at least half of the gift must be designated for the Foundation and the remainder may go to other charities of your choice.
Planning Your Gift
With so many options for planned giving, it can be overwhelming to decide which direction to take. We are here to support you in your planning journey and are happy to assist you with providing financial planning and legal services. We want to ensure your plan is set up according to your wishes while maximizing your future income streams and tax savings.
