Planned giving options offer some significant advantages. For one, charitable gifts made in your estate planning documents are generally 100% deductible for estate tax purposes. Another is that a charitable bequest may place your estate in a lower tax bracket.

Our professionals would be happy to review your particular wishes and show you exactly what advantages you may expect. We also recommend consulting your legal and tax advisors in this manner.

A will is perhaps the easiest and most effective means to ensure that you fully provide for your family and that your assets are distributed as you wish. Additionally, depending on the complexity of your assets and your family situation, a trust agreement may also be part of your overall estate plan.

If you choose to make a bequest to LSSN, the following suggested language may be helpful to you and your lawyer. Because we are not a law firm, the following language is suggested only. Since each person and family are different, how you specify a gift to LSSN will likely vary. You should consult with competent legal and tax counsel in naming LSSN as a beneficiary of your estate. We would be happy to coordinate with your selected legal counsel.

"I give, bequeath and devise _______ % of my estate or trust (or $______) to Lutheran Social Services of Nevada, income and principal to be applied in its discretion for its general uses and purposes."

If there are specific LSSN ministries that are special to you, you can designate those ministries as beneficiary by adding these words:

"...to be used for the general purposes of the _____________ ministry. If, during times of change, Lutheran Social Services of Nevada ceases to provide this ministry, then my gift shall be used wherever the need is the greatest."

Other examples of planned gifts include charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, gifts of life insurance and gifts of retirement plans. Again, LSSN is partnered with proven professionals, who would be happy to consult with you.

Charitable Gift Annuities and Charitable Trusts

Charitable Gift Annuities make it possible for you to transfer cash or marketable securities, such as stocks or bonds, to LSSN. In exchange, you - and/or someone else you designate - receive fixed payments for life. You should receive a significant charitable income tax deduction in the year you make the gift, and may avoid capital gains taxes on appreciated securities.

Charitable Remainder Trusts allow you to receive income for life, and to possibly avoid capital gains taxes and reduce your estate tax, while receiving an immediate charitable income tax deduction and the satisfaction of supporting LSSN.

As with all planned gifts, be sure to consult with legal and tax professionals.

Life Insurance

People who may no longer need their life insurance may consider donating the policy to LSSN by naming LSSN as the beneficiary and owner of the policy. In many cases, you may then claim a charitable deduction for the policy's cash surrender value, and the proceeds are completely removed from your estate.

You may also choose to make LSSN the primary or contingent beneficiary of a life insurance policy, while continuing to be the owner of that policy.

Another option is to purchase and give a new policy to LSSN, while continuing to make gifts to LSSN to cover the cost of the annual premium.

Please consult with an insurance professional when considering any gift of life insurance.

Retirement Plans

Assets of qualified retirement plans, such as an IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or Keough plan, may be given to LSSN. One convenient way to do so is to change the beneficiary designation to include LSSN. Other financial options are available, for which we recommend professional consultation.

There continues to be an opportunity to make a gift to LSSN directly from your IRA. This distribution may be used to satisfy all or a portion of the annual mandatory minimum distribution requirement associated with your IRA if you are 70.5 or older.

IRS information on mandatory minimum distributions can be found here www.irs.gov/retirement/article/0,,id=96989,00.html.

As with all planned gifts, be sure to consult with legal and tax professionals.

In order to show our profound thanks, all individuals that share in our mission and remember LSSN in their estate or financial plans become members of LSSN's Lazarus Society, so that we can celebrate their generosity and thank them during their lifetime.

We would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude to Gail & Edward Kauss, Richard Kovach, William & Jean Engelmann, and Bruce & Helen Smith for their thoughtfulness in this way.

Should you notice any corrections or additions to this list, please contact Tom Maatta at 702-807-5707 or thomas@lssnv.org .