Planned Giving
YOUR GUIDE TO PLANNED GIVING WITH UNITED WAY
Planned giving
Planned giving offers a unique opportunity to create a lasting impact on the causes you care about – not just today, but for generations to come. It’s a way to leave a meaningful legacy.
What is the Legacy Circle?
The United Way of Rhode Island Legacy Circle honors our most dedicated donors, whose generosity shapes the future of our community and drives meaningful, lasting change in people's lives. Through their planned gifts, they create an impact that resonates not only during their lifetime but for generations to come.
How to create a legacy?
There are various financial vehicles available for planned giving. Personal financial advisors can help you design a planned gift that aligns with your financial goals and philanthropic aspirations.
Endow your gift
It generally takes a commitment of 20 times your annual contribution to endow an annual gift.
Bequests through a Will or Trust
The most popular and simplest way to make a planned gift is under your will or trust. You can provide a specific dollar amount or percentage, a residual amount, real estate, or tangible property to United Way RI.
IRA Rollover and Pension Fund Gifts
These are some of the best ways to make a charitable gift because of the ease of initiation. Donating these assets to a nonprofit, such as United Way RI, avoids double taxation under income and estate tax provisions. United Way RI can be named as a partial or contingent beneficiary of your retirement or pension plan.
Gifts of Life Insurance
With a relatively small outlay, you can make a substantial gift while obtaining tax benefits. United Way RI can be named as the sole, partial, or contingent beneficiary of a new or existing policy. Also, a paid-up policy can be donated to United Way RI as the owner and sole beneficiary.
Charitable Remainder Trust
Certain charitable vehicles can provide you with a lifetime income, with the remainder being left to charity. These options ensure an income stream during your lifetime, or the lifetime of your designated beneficiaries, leaving the residual benefit to charity. This is a simple and flexible way to maintain or increase your income while also supporting United Way RI.
Charitable Lead Trust
This vehicle can provide an annual income to United Way RI for a fixed period of years, offer an annual charitable deduction, and at the end of the time period leave significant, untaxed income for the beneficiary you have designated, which may be grandchildren, great grandchildren, or another designee.
Charitable Gift Annuity
There are many ways to fund a Gift Annuity, but cash or appreciated stock are the most common. When transferring securities to United Way RI, you can obtain an immediate charitable income tax deduction and bypass a portion of the capital gains tax as well. In addition, your income can frequently be increased in the form of a lifetime annuity payment based upon your age.
Planned Gift Notification
Sharing information about your planned gift is a meaningful way to demonstrate your generosity and help us plan for the future. It’s easy—simply let us know the type of gift, its estimated value, and any special wishes you may have.
When donors notify nonprofits of their planned gifts, it allows organizations to acknowledge their generosity, express gratitude, and invite them to participate in legacy societies or recognition programs. By keeping us informed, you enable us to honor your wishes and strengthen our relationship.
Importance of Planned Giving
Planned giving is a powerful partnership between you and United Way, offering a strategic approach to charitable giving. For you, it’s a chance to create a lasting legacy, benefit from potential tax advantages, and support the causes you care about. For nonprofits, planned gifts provide a stable, predictable source of future funding, ensuring long-term sustainability and enabling strategic growth.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PLANNED GIVING?
Planned giving is a meaningful way to create a lasting impact while optimizing your financial resources. It offers mutual benefits for both donors and nonprofit organizations:
Benefits for Donors
- Tax Benefits: Offers potential reductions in income, estate, and capital gains taxes.
- Financial Planning: Integrates charitable giving with your financial and estate planning goals.
- Legacy Creation: Provides an opportunity to leave a lasting impact on causes that matter most to you.
Benefits for Nonprofits
- Stable Funding: Predictable future income to support long-term initiatives.
- Donor Relationships: Deepens connections with donors, fostering greater engagement with the organization’s mission.
- Financial Stability: Enhanced ability to plan and allocate strategically for sustainable growth.
HOW TO GET STARTED IN PLANNED GIVING
Embarking on the journey of planned giving is a deeply rewarding experience. If you’re interested in exploring our Planned Giving options, we’re here to collaborate with you and your advisors to design a gift that best meets your needs.
Here’s a simple guide to help you get started:
- Reflect on Your Values: Identify the causes that resonate with you and envision the impact you wish to create.
- Explore Your Options: Research the various types of planned gifts to determine which aligns with your financial and philanthropic goals.
- Seek Expert Advice: Consult financial, legal, and tax professionals to fully understand the benefits and implications of your gift.
- Choose Your Beneficiaries: Select the organizations that inspire you and align with your values.
- Create Your Legacy: Work with your advisors to integrate your planned gift into your estate or financial plan.
- Share Your Vision: Inform us of your intentions so we can express our gratitude, honor your wishes, and include you in our legacy programs.
Getting started is easy! United Way proudly offers Free Will, a free, user-friendly tool to help you create a personalized will or other estate planning documents online.
Our Documents
Here are some helpful documents to help get you started.
UNITED WAY OF RHODE ISLAND’S LEGACY CIRCLE MEMBERS
The Eugene P. Carreiro Revocable Family Trust*
Victor R. Charles
William H. Claflin*
Karen A. Davie & Garrison A. Hull
Sarah and Charley Denby
Christine Ann Farrands
Anonymous
John D. Flynn, Jr.
Ms. Patricia A. Gauvin
Mary & Tom Gilbane Jr.
Anonymous
Jonathan W. & Cornelia K. Hall
Ashley M. Jankowski
Lauren Amy Johnson
Georgeanne Keith
Marie Langlois & John Loerke
Catherine Lewis
Linda J. Marty
David & Cortney Nicolato
Anita Oliver*
Carol A. Peterson
Anonymous
Ms. Irene K. Plaga*
Dennis E. Stark
Susan & Alec Taylor
Thomas & Sharon Veronneau
Donald & Crystal Way
Contact us
For more information on how you can make a lasting impact as a member of UWRI’s Legacy Circle, please contact:
Jessica Barry
Senior Director of Donor Relations
401.444.0640
Jessica.barry@unitedwayri.org
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