Plan it Forward

Sure, you’ve heard of paying it forward...

Someone paid for your coffee one day, so you pay for the person behind you the next day.

Someone gave you an opportunity to grow, so you give your time and support to Habitat to give someone else an opportunity to grow.

The list goes on.

But one particularly impactful way to pay it forward is one you may not have thought about: planned giving. Planned giving is exactly what it sounds like. It’s giving, with a plan. It means looking at how you can support the causes close to your heart, and doing so with intention.

Benefits of Planning

Planned giving is a great way to give to an organization for many reasons.

1. It’s a way to provide critical, sustained support that your beneficiary organization can count on.
2. You know that you will continue having a positive impact on your community for years or even generations to come.
3. You’re able to design a plan with mutual benefits – for you, your loved ones, and the community.

Who Can Make a Planned Gift?

Many people hear “planned giving” or “estate planning,” and they envision lawyers managing wealth and a mountain of paperwork. While this certainly qualifies as planned giving, the reality is much simpler – and can have a significant impact on the causes you love. It can go beyond wills and trusts – in fact, you (and your favorite organization, ahem!) can start seeing benefits today.

When Can You Make a Planned Gift?

You can make a planned gift at any time and in many ways. However, the best time to consider making a planned gift is now, during Habitat’s first Legacy Challenge!

When you commit a planned gift during our Legacy Challenge, you can help us unlock $255,000 in match donations.

When you document a planned gift during the Legacy Challenge – whether new or existing – 10% of your gift’s value will be immediately donated from these matching funds to Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley!

The best part of the Legacy Challenge? We will put the match donation to work serving families now, and count on your planned gift to grow our programs in the future. Your documented gift is non-binding, and you can change your estate plans at any time.

4 Ways to Make a Planned Gift

Planned giving is a broad term that encompasses lots of ways to “plan it forward.” There are many ways to plan a gift and be a part of our Legacy Challenge. Here are our 4 most impactful ways to give a planned gift:

1. Designate Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley in your will or living trust:
   Yes, this is a major way you can ensure that we can keep building housing opportunities in our communities, well beyond your lifetime. It doesn’t have to be nearly as intimidating as it might sound; in fact, we’ve got you all set up with simple sample language you can start with, and take to your counsel to fine-tune. Plus, you retain control of your assets, and you can change your mind at any time.
   
   
2. Name us as a beneficiary of your retirement account:
   If you’re looking for another simple, flexible option, consider a beneficiary designation. It’s as simple as filling out a form, and you’ll be on your way to supporting Habitat through your IRA or other retirement plan – or even a life insurance policy, donor-advised fund, or commercial annuity. What’s more, that gift comes to us tax-free – the full amount supports Habitat’s mission. When you name a loved one as a beneficiary, they’re required to pay income tax on any distributions from the account.
   
   
3. Make a gift of stock:
   Feeling tax-savvy as well as charitable? This might be the vehicle for you! Gifts of appreciated stocks, securities, and mutual funds are a popular way to support Habitat. There’s a nice tax deduction in it for you – plus an exemption from capital gains taxes on any increase in their value.
   
   
4. Create a lifetime income gift:
   How about a gift that gives back to you? Look no further than a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust! It means supporting Habitat with a gift, while getting income for yourself or a loved one for the rest of your life. It can be a great way to make sure you have a stable income during your retirement, but also support your favorite affordable housing developer!

As you can see, estate planning and planned giving can be a fantastic way to ensure your intentions are followed, you and your loved ones are cared for as you desire, you can enjoy some sweet tax incentives, and we can continue growing our efforts to build more – and empower local families to build more as well.

Get Started Making a Planned Gift During Our Legacy Challenge.

Joining our Legacy Challenge is easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Choose how you want to give – leave your legacy through your will, a living trust, your retirement plan, life insurance, the list goes on!
2. Document your planned gift online using the Legacy Challenge Gift Confirmation Form.
3. Sit back and watch a match of 10% of the value of your planned gift be given to Habitat today (up to $10,000).

Still unsure if planned giving is right for you? Here are some resources to help you learn more and get started:

• Comprehensive planning toolkits and guides
• Sample Will Language
• Personalized Gift Calculator

Questions? Contact Lisa Amor, our Planned Giving Officer, at LAmor@HabitatEBSV.org or (408) 273-7196.