AFE’s Legacy Circle

Bequests are donations made through a will or revocable trust. They will not affect your cash flow in your lifetime but will provide a meaningful gift upon your death. A bequest to AFE can lower the total federal tax owed by your estate. You can designate a specific dollar amount, asset, or a percentage of your estate. A bequest is revocable, meaning that you retain full control over your assets during your lifetime should you need them.

A Charitable Remainder Trust is another way to make a gift and receive income for life. It is more flexible in nature than a gift annuity and can allow you to meet different personal goals. Your payments can be either fixed or variable in amount. With a CRT, you make a gift to AFE (and possibly other charities) and receive income for your lifetime (or a period of years that you specify).

With a Charitable Lead Trust, property is irrevocably transferred by you into a Trust arrangement. The Trust makes payments to the AFE for a specified period of time and then distributes the principal to you or to your heirs.

You might have a paid-up life insurance policy that you no longer need. You can make a gift by transferring the policy outright to AFE or naming AFE as a beneficiary similar to retirement assets. Or you might think about taking out a new policy benefitting AFE and receive tax benefits with each premium paid.

You can designate AFE as the beneficiary of your IRA or other retirement assets such as 401(k) and 403(b) plans (AFE will receive the funds upon your passing), or you can make outright gifts during your lifetime from these same assets. Because of the income tax considerations, this is one of the most tax-wise ways you can make a gift.