Seven Ways to Make a Planned Gift to Bluegrass Conservancy

As we grow older, our needs, interests and perspectives change. For many, this means giving something back to the community. For others, it means keeping their hard-earned assets within the local community, rather than sending them back to Washington, D.C. in the form of capital gains and estate taxes. For Bluegrass Conservancy, it means the ability to preserve a parcel of Bluegrass farmland for future generations. What follows is a description of selected planned giving techniques available for supoprting the Conservancy and conserving our teasured farmland.

1. Make a bequest. A bequest is a wonderful way for you to create a lasting land legacy. Ask your attorney to review the following wording and include it in your will: "I give and bequeath Bluegrass Conservancy, located in Lexington, KY, the sum of ______ dollars ($____) OR _______ percent (____%) of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate OR the following described property: _________________________________________________."
   
   
   Please note: Some donors have used specific bequests to place conservation easements on land at their deaths. Landowners who donate conservation easements may qualify for certain estate tax benefits. However, it is important that a donor consult with Bluegrass Conservancy prior to signing the will to ensure that the donor's conservation goals and the IRS deductibility requirements are in fact met. Donors should also be aware of the Conservancy's stewardship endowment policy for the management and enforcement of the easement in perpetuity.
   
   
2. Set up an IRA for the benefit of Bluegrass Conservancy.
   
   
3. Name Bluegrass Conservancy as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy.
   
   
4. Create a charitable remainder trust. Contribute cash, stock or real estate to a charitable trust and receive an immediate income tax deduction, a tax-free bypass of capital gains, and income for life.
   
   
5. Take out a charitable gift annuity. This simple contract offers many of the same benefits of a charitable remainder trust (see #4 above). The payments to you are fixed, guaranteed, and partially tax-free. The older you are, the higher the payment.
   
   
6. Give your house and keep it, too. Former President and First Lady Carter did this. A residence of theirs will go to charity when the Carters die, but they retain the right to live there for life. They received a substantial income tax deduction and still enjoy the use of the home.
   
   
7. Set up an endowed fund at Bluegrass Conservancy. The Conservancy and you write a letter of agreement creating your endowed fund. You get an immediate dollar-for-dollar tax deduction when you fund it. The fund becomes a permanent resource producing income for our organization.
   

For more information, please contact Nathan Harlan, Development Director, at (859) 255-4552.

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