Planned Giving
Planned Giving is a great way to simultaneously support The American Spectator Foundation's mission while optimizing the value of your assets and minimizing your tax burden.
Charitable Gifts through Retirement Funds
Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) or IRA Charitable Rollover
Suppose you anticipate that you will not need all of your retirement funds for living expenses. In that case, if you are over the age of 70 ½, and you have a regular IRA, you can instruct your IRA administrator to transfer up to $100,000 each year to charity. These transfers are not included in your taxable income, and they count towards your mandatory distributions- which, as noted, currently begin at the age of 72 (73 if you reached age 72 after December 31, 2022).
Charitable Remainder Trusts
You may make a donation to The American Spectator Foundation via a charitable remainder trust.
A charitable remainder trust (CRT) enables a donor to transfer property, cash, or other assets into an irrevocable trust and to stipulate the distribution of the trust income and principal. A charitable remainder trust may be set up as either a charitable unitrust (CRUT) or a charitable annuity trust (CRAT). A CRUT pays out a fixed percentage of the trust’s value, as determined on an annual basis. A CRAT pays out a fixed percentage of the trust’s initial value each year. The trust may become effective during the donor’s lifetime or at death contingent upon his preference.
The benefit of a charitable remainder trust is that the donor receives a tax deduction for the present value of the charitable remainder interest. If the trust includes the transfer of real property, the donor will also avoid capital gains tax.
Estate Gifts under a Will or Living Trust
You may designate The American Spectator Foundation as a beneficiary in your will or living trust. If the donation is set up as an annuity trust or a unitrust, your estate is permitted an estate-tax deduction for a portion of the initial value of the trust.
Planned Gifts of Life Insurance
You may also designate The American Spectator Foundation as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
For more information about planned giving opportunities at The American Spectator Foundation, please contact Director of Operations, Leonora Cravotta at cravottal@spectator.org or 703-807-2011.