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Charitable Gift Annuity

Gifts That Pay You Income

Payments for Life

Learn more about the many benefits of a charitable gift annuity in our FREE guide Strengthen Your Future With a Charitable Gift Annuity.

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There's a way for you to support West Catholic Legacy Funds and feel confident that you have dependable income in your retirement years. You can do this with a charitable gift annuity.

This type of donation can provide you with regular payments and allow us to further our work. You can also qualify for a variety of tax benefits depending on how you fund your gift.

If you fund your gift annuity with cash or appreciated property, you qualify for a federal income tax deduction if you itemize. In addition, you can minimize capital gains taxes when you fund your gift with appreciated property.

And now, you can fund your gift using your IRA assets. If you are 70½ and older, you can make a one-time election of up to $53,000 to fund a gift annuity. While your gift does not qualify for an income tax deduction, it does escape income tax liability on the transfer and count toward all or part of your required minimum distributions.

Gifts That Pay

Your payments depend on your age at the time of the donation. If you are younger than 60, we recommend that you learn more about your options and download this FREE guide Plan for Retirement With a Deferred Gift Annuity.

Please provide the following information to view the brochure.

Deferred Gift Annuity Request Form

Payments for Life

Learn more about the many benefits of a charitable gift annuity in our FREE guide Strengthen Your Future With a Charitable Gift Annuity.

View My Guide

An Example of How It Works

Couple smiling Dennis, 66, and Mary, 65, want to make a contribution to West Catholic but they also want to ensure that they have dependable income during their retirement years. They establish an endowed $20,000 charitable gift annuity.

Based on their ages, they will receive a payment rate of 5.1%, which means that they will receive $1,020 each year for the remainder of their lives. They're also eligible for a federal income tax charitable deduction of $6,402* when they itemize. Finally, they know that after their lifetimes, the remaining amount will be used to support our mission to form Disciples of Christ through a dynamic, excellence-driven Catholic education.

*Based on a 5.2% charitable midterm federal rate. Deductions and calculations will vary depending on your personal circumstances.

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Calculate Your Benefits

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Personal Estate Planning Kit

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Your Next Steps

  1. Contact Jill Annable at 616 233-5905 or jillannable@grwestcatholic.org for additional information.
  2. Seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor.
  3. To include West Catholic in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID.

If endowed please use The Foundation for Catholic Secondary Education, West Catholic:
Legal Name: The Foundation for Catholic Secondary Education, West Catholic
Address: 360 Division S., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
Federal Tax ID Number: 38-2175690

If going to the annual fund, please use:
Legal Name: West Catholic High School
Address: 1801 Bristol Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Federal Tax ID Number: 81-2892087

*Endowed funds are permanent funds for the future long-term needs of West Catholic. Endowed funds are typically housed in the Foundation for Catholic Secondary Education and are intended to exist in perpetuity, producing a permanent source of annual income to support our mission.

Calculate Your Benefits

Submit a few details and see how a charitable gift annuity can benefit you.

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Personal Estate Planning Kit

Not Sure How to Begin Planning?

Download My FREE Personal Estate Planning Kit

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to West Catholic Legacy Funds a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

Bequest Language - Endowed
“I give to the Foundation for Catholic Secondary Education West Catholic*, a nonprofit corporation currently located at 360 Division S., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

*Endowed funds for West Catholic are typically housed in the Foundation for Catholic Secondary Education and are intended to exist in perpetuity, producing a permanent source of annual income to support our mission.

Bequest Language - Non-Endowed
“I give to West Catholic High School, a nonprofit corporation currently located at 1801 Bristol Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to West Catholic or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land.

A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to West Catholic as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to West Catholic as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and West Catholic where you agree to make a gift to West Catholic and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.
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