Your will is the legal instrument you create to help you leave a legacy. Through a bequest, you can also have a direct impact on the future of The Monument of the Immortals and create a legacy that will live on for future generations.

To make a gift from your estate, you must draft a new will or add a codicil to your present will. A bequest may be large or small, restricted or unrestricted. It can include cash, securities, real estate, other property, or a percentage of the residue of your estate. To ensure that your wishes are honored, a bequest should be prepared in consultation with your lawyer and discussed with your family.

2. Over-Funded Retirement Plans

If you have over-funded qualified retirement plans such as an IRA, 401(K) or Keough Plan, gifts from these plans either directly or through a trust created in your legal will can help reduce your taxable estate while supporting the mission and purpose of The Monument of the Immortals either now or in the future.

3. Life Insurance

If you own life insurance that is no longer needed for its original purpose, you may change or name the beneficiary on an existing policy to The Monument of the Immortals. You may then claim a charitable income tax deduction for the approximate cash surrender value of the policy, and the proceeds are removed from your estate. There are also tax deductions allowed for both future premium payments and the replacement value of paid-up policies.

4. Gifts of Securities

Recent federal tax incentives have made it very attractive to donate publicly listed securities that have appreciated in value, and no matter what tax bracket you are in, making gifts of appreciated stock makes sense.

Tax benefits for a donor who has owned appreciated stocks for more than one year are two-fold: capital gains tax is avoided upon transfer to The Monument of the Immortals and the donor can receive an income tax charitable deduction for the full market value of the stock on the date of the gift. Depending on your tax bracket and the size of the gift, there may be an opportunity to carry the charitable income tax deduction over several years.

If you own stock or other investments that have decreased in value since you acquired them, you could sell them and donate the cash proceeds. The loss you incur may also be deductible from other income for more tax savings. The combination of the two deductions could actually be higher than the current value of the investment.