No Cost Gifts

Will or Trust Gifts

Your gift can be your final statement about what you believe to be important and worthwhile, such as the research supported by the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Charitable gifts may take several forms. It can be a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder of your estate after expenses and gifts to loved ones. They can include cash, securities, real estate, and personal property such as valuable collections, art, or jewelry.

An infographic describing the step of adding the Foundation to your will or trustL 1. Include the Foundation in ayour will or trust. AFter your death, the will or trust distributes your bequests to your heirs and the foundation -- A gift that cost you nothing during your lifetime.

The most common types of gifts you may want to consider:

Percentage – Designates the percentage of your estate you want distributed to the Foundation Fighting Blindness.
Specific – Designates a specific dollar amount or a specific asset to the Foundation.
Residual – The Foundation will receive the remainder of your estate, or a designated percentage, after all necessary costs and bequests to others have been satisfied.
Contingent – Assumes that you want to leave your entire estate to family and friends. However, if you outlive any beneficiary, you can instruct that the Foundation receives that portion of the estate.

View Sample Legacy Gift Language

Beneficiary Designation Gifts

Even if you don’t have a will, you can leave a gift to the Foundation Fighting Blindness from your retirement accounts, insurance plan, or other assets that allow you to designate a named beneficiary and may not be needed by your heirs. It’s simple. Start by contacting the company that holds your account to ask for a beneficiary form. Then fill out the form, sign it and return it to the company. This beneficiary form takes precedence over any contradictory language that may be in your will or trust.

As with all Gift Planning, you should consult with your tax advisor and attorney to determine what strategy is best for you. Consulting estate planning professionals will help ensure that your family is well cared for and that you have a chance to make a lasting impact on the causes you care about.

Retirement Funds

Retirement fund assets are some of the most highly taxed assets when left to those other than a spouse. But, when you name the Foundation Fighting Blindness, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, as a beneficiary of your retirement account, the full amount goes directly to finding a cure for blindness.

An infographic describing the steps of naming the Foundation beneficiary of your retirement plan. The Foundation recieves the balance of plan funds after your death.

Life Insurance

A gift of life insurance can be made by transferring the ownership of an existing policy, assigning the Foundation as a charitable beneficiary, or purchasing a new policy with the Foundation as the owner. Various tax savings are generated by insurance gifts.