Planned Giving

Planned Giving

Make a difference in the world you live in, both now and in the future.

A planned gift is a contribution that is arranged in the present and allocated at a future date. As you plan for future gifts, would you consider making a planned or legacy gift to Cunningham?

Your planned gift can help us provide expert care and facilities to help our kids learn positive coping and behavioral skills, to achieve realistic academic goals, and to develop the life skills necessary to be successful in our community. Planned gifts can also provide you with valuable tax benefits, and even an additional source of income for life.

>>READ ABOUT JACK'S GIFT AND HIS LONG-TERM IMPACT HERE

>>READ ABOUT A LEGACY OF LOVE - WILL & VICKI KIRKPATRICK

As a donor, you are in control of your gift. You can designate it with a specific place or purpose in mind, or leave your gift unrestricted so we can apply it toward the areas of greatest need.

With a planned gift, you can:
  • Make a larger charitable gift than you thought possible
  • Take care of the financial needs of your family first
  • Provide inheritances for your heirs at a lower tax cost
  • Reduce your income tax and even avoid capital gains taxes
  • Diversify your investment portfolio
  • Increase income and effective rate of return
  • Leave a legacy without giving up assets

With a planned gift to Cunningham, you can:

  • Pledge a gift to the Education and Recreation Center to help provide the best educational experience for our kids
  • Help bridge the gap between reimbursements from referring agencies and the actual costs of caring for our kids
  • Support our residential education, recreation, and therapeutic programs
  • Provide funding assistance for our community-based programs like HopeSprings Community Counseling and Vocational Options

Types of Planned Gifts

Bequest by Will — a legacy of giving

  • 80 percent of all planned gifts are bequests
  • A specific bequest is typically a stated dollar amount
  • A residuary bequest is either the entire estate which remains after all other gifts are made, or a percentage of the remaining estate.

Life Insurance — a simple way to give a significant gift

  • Beneficiary Designation: the organization of your choice is designated as a beneficiary of the life insurance policy to receive death proceeds.
  • Transfer of Policy: ownership of a paid-in-full- life insurance policy can be transferred to the named organization, or ownership can be transferrred while the donor continues to pay the premium.

Gifts of Real Estate — an unmatched opportunity to make an impact

  • By deed, a transfer of entire estate of fraction thereof.
  • Value of interest transferred generates charitable deduction to offset capital gains.

Gifts of Stocks or Business Interests — let your portfolio or business profit the community

  • Shares of appreciated publicly traded stock are an effective way to support and avoid taxation on the gain.
  • Closely held business interests are an acceptable means of converting stock into liquid assets.

Gifts from Retirement Plans — the perfect gift asset

  • Qualified plans and IRAs are ideal for charitable givng purposes because these assets are often heavily taxed when passed to non-spouse beneficiaries.
  • Simply requires a designation of named organization as the beneficiary of the plan.

Charitable Remainder Trust — planning for the future for you and your community

  • Allows you or designated family members to receive income for the rest of your (their) life or for a specified term of years, knowing that whatever remains will benefit the named organization.
  • Transfer assets into a trust and received an immediate charitable contribution.

Charitable Lead Trust — giving to named organization and your loved ones

  • Permits you to remove assets from your estate and benefit the named organization during the trust’s term.
  • Assets selected by you are transferred into a trust, which pays the named organization an annual amount to accomplish the mission.

Take These Steps When Making a Planned Gift

  1. Be sure to talk to your family and friends about your plans and personal wishes in addressing family needs as well as your legacy gifts.
  2. Contact Your Attorney and your financial advisor. Let them know you are considering a planned gift to Cunningham Children’s Home. They can assist you in determining what type of gift best suits your personal and financial circumstances.
  3. Contact Tim Manard, Development Officer, at 217.337.9071 or by email for more information about your options. He can provide you with sample language for bequests or show you how to structure specific gifts.

This is not professional legal or tax advice. Consult your legal and tax advisors regarding your specific situation.