Donor Stories
Bob and Beverly (not their real names) are two valued partners of IC. Below is a testimony they wrote to share the benefits of estate planning for their family, their church, and ministries like IC.
"After receiving some small inheritances from our parents and some investments doing well, we realized our will needed not only to be updated, but we should consider what options existed that we might need besides a simple will.
It soon became apparent that the best option for us would be a charitable trust. Here are the two major reasons we chose a charitable trust.
1) We wanted our heirs to receive the most inheritance possible under existing laws.
The will we had in place would leave our estate to our heirs but a sizeable tax liability would be involved.
2) We wanted to continue supporting some ministries that we have been supporting over the years.
Under our old will, we would be including these ministries, but in doing so it would reduce the benefits of our heirs.
We chose to place the equivalent of one-half of our estate in a charitable trust. The portion of the estate placed in trust will remain in the trust for a set period of time in which the trust grows to equal the original amount placed in trust. Our heirs will still have some tax liability, but by receiving the inheritance in annual apportionments of the trust over a period of time, it will reduce the tax liability.
In short, the ministries will receive one-half of our estate at the end of the trust period, and during that time, our heirs will also receive annual benefits which over that period equal the original amount placed in the trust.
We have chosen three ministries which we have supported over the years; our local church, International Commission and another evangelical ministry. We are choosing International Commission because we not only have been involved in participating in several partnerships and seeing the very exciting results of our efforts, but we know the vision and future plans of International Commission. It is a humbling experience to be a part of a ministry which is seeing over a million people annually professing Christ as their Savior, and know that a local church has their name for following up on their decision.
If you have not planned your estate so that it would continue to enable the gospel to be shared with a needy world, I challenge you to consider placing a portion of your estate in a charitable trust for the purpose of sharing Christ long after you can no longer do so yourself."
"After receiving some small inheritances from our parents and some investments doing well, we realized our will needed not only to be updated, but we should consider what options existed that we might need besides a simple will.
It soon became apparent that the best option for us would be a charitable trust. Here are the two major reasons we chose a charitable trust.
1) We wanted our heirs to receive the most inheritance possible under existing laws.
The will we had in place would leave our estate to our heirs but a sizeable tax liability would be involved.
2) We wanted to continue supporting some ministries that we have been supporting over the years.
Under our old will, we would be including these ministries, but in doing so it would reduce the benefits of our heirs.
We chose to place the equivalent of one-half of our estate in a charitable trust. The portion of the estate placed in trust will remain in the trust for a set period of time in which the trust grows to equal the original amount placed in trust. Our heirs will still have some tax liability, but by receiving the inheritance in annual apportionments of the trust over a period of time, it will reduce the tax liability.
In short, the ministries will receive one-half of our estate at the end of the trust period, and during that time, our heirs will also receive annual benefits which over that period equal the original amount placed in the trust.
We have chosen three ministries which we have supported over the years; our local church, International Commission and another evangelical ministry. We are choosing International Commission because we not only have been involved in participating in several partnerships and seeing the very exciting results of our efforts, but we know the vision and future plans of International Commission. It is a humbling experience to be a part of a ministry which is seeing over a million people annually professing Christ as their Savior, and know that a local church has their name for following up on their decision.
If you have not planned your estate so that it would continue to enable the gospel to be shared with a needy world, I challenge you to consider placing a portion of your estate in a charitable trust for the purpose of sharing Christ long after you can no longer do so yourself."
-
BequestsJoe and Anna have been faithful supporters of our organization. They believe it is important to help further our mission.
More -
Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift to CharityJoanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our organization. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged...
More -
Fixed Income for RetirementAfter working for decades as a pediatrician in a small town, Patricia is ready to retire.
More -
Tax-Free SaleHoward and Lynn were both age 55 when they purchased some vacant land a few miles outside of town. They thought real estate would be a good investment that could be sold later for a profit.
More -
Capital Gains Tax BypassedPeter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities and built a sizable portfolio.
More -
Peace of Mind Gift AnnuityMany years ago, Clara bought a home. Since she was very pleased with her home, she bought stock in the company that built the home.
More -
Endowment GiftPat and Shelly were recently married. They both had been dedicated volunteers at their favorite charity for many years.
More -
Sale and UnitrustGene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well.
More -
The Retirement UnitrustMary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she and her husband Bill inherited the farm.
More -
Property Turns Into IncomeMiranda lived in the family home where she and her spouse had raised their three children. After her spouse passed away, Miranda found it increasingly difficult to care for her property.
More -
Flexible Deferred Gift AnnuityLuis is a 54-year-old executive at a large healthcare company. He purchased company stock during years when the stock price was low, and now the stock has grown substantially in value.
More -
Part Gift and Part SaleSusan and Kevin bought a vacant lot along Lake Michigan many years ago. They had planned to build a second home so that their family could spend their summers along the lake.
More -
Current GiftsAs is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving.
More -
Gift of a Bank Account When No Longer Needed (POD)Keith has been a faithful supporter of International Commission and makes regular gifts to support our work.
More -
Transferable on Death (TOD) GiftsHarold and Jeanne married after meeting at an event International Commission held for our donors. They wanted to leave a legacy gift...
More -
A Bequest to Further Good WorkNancy and David were dedicated volunteers. Over the years, they had seen many individuals helped by the good work of their favorite charity.
More -
Deferred Gift AnnuitySeveral years ago, Larry and Allison invested $30,000 in what they believed to be an attractive stock.
More -
What Will You Do with Your Unspent Retirement Savings?Michael and Kelly were retired engineers with two adult children. They owned a home, some stocks, and IRAs.
More -
Gift Annuity for Real EstateJonathan purchased his home many years ago for $80,000. The home is now worth $420,000. Jonathan wants to sell his home and buy a condo for $130,000.
More -
A Bequest to Save TaxesThomas was a widower who had a great love for our organization. As an individual who had directly benefited from our work, Thomas wanted to thank us with a gift from his estate.
More -
Leading for the FutureLuke and Cynthia spent many years volunteering and supporting their favorite charity. They wanted to give back in a way that would help fulfill its mission.
More -
Give it Twice TrustWhile visiting her favorite charity's website, June came across the idea of a give it twice trust. She contacted the charity for more information.
More -
Providing for Our Children's FutureRon and Kathy worked for many years building their nest egg for retirement.
More -
Bequest of InsuranceMarla and Wayne purchased a life insurance policy many years ago to create security for their children's future.
More -
Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!We have all heard the saying "You can't have your cake and eat it too." This phrase describes a situation where we want two good things at the same time when that isn't possible.
More