Leave a Legacy
While there are a variety of planned gifts a donor can choose to achieve his or her philanthropic goals, here are some of the basic and popular giving tools a donor can use during his or her lifetime to make a difference in this ministry after his or her death.

Bequests
Although a bequest made in a will is one of the simplest ways a person can make a planned gift, it can also be a lasting expression of a person's values. There are a number of choices one can make when making a bequest. One possibility is to make a bequest of a specific gift of cash or property, while another is to give a percentage of one's estate. Some donors choose to make their bequest unrestricted, while others establish permanent endowments to provide a perpetual source of funding for the ministry they value.

Charitable Gift Annuities
The concept of a charitable gift annuity is quite simple. The donor makes a gift of cash or marketable property in exchange for a charitable gift annuity, which guarantees to pay the donor or donors a fixed income for life. Because the rate of return is determined by the age of the beneficiaries and whether one or two beneficiaries are named, older donors usually find that gift annuities greatly enhanced their income. In addition to receiving a guaranteed income for life, gift annuities also provide tax benefits. Upon the death of the annuitants, the remainder is used for the charitable purpose specified by the donor.

Charitable Remainder Trusts
Charitable remainder trusts allow a donor to transfer assets into a separately managed trust that provides the donor and/or a named beneficiary with payments for life or for a term of years. The trust can pay the donor either a fixed income (annuity trust) or a percentage of the fair market value of the trust, valued annually (unitrust). Charitable remainder trusts, which can be funded with cash, stocks, bonds, real estate or personal property, have favorable tax advantages. Upon the termination of the trust the remainder is used for the charitable purpose specified by the donor.

Life Insurance
It is not uncommon for people who purchased life insurance coverage during earlier years to feel less of a need for life insurance benefits as they grow older. As a result some people may choose to transfer the ownership of a policy that has a cash surrender value to a charity during their lifetime and receive an income tax charitable deduction. Others may choose to name the charity as a beneficiary, but keep ownership and retain control of their policies. Either option gives the donor the satisfaction of leaving a lasting legacy.

Contact Information
For more information about planned giving or other donor questions, contact one of these Lutheran Homes of South Carolina Foundation staff members:

Ernest L. Beck
Director of Planned Giving
Franke at Seaside
1885 Rifle Range Road
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464-9964
843-856-4718
ebeck@lhomes.org

The Rev. Robert G. Coon
President
Lutheran Homes of South Carolina Foundation, Inc.
300 Ministry Drive
Irmo, SC 29063-2366
803-749-5124
rcoon@lhomes.org