Gifts of Cash
The most direct way to impact your Y is through a gift of cash. Such gifts may be fully tax deductible and can be made directly during one’s lifetime through a will. Gifts of cash may be unrestricted or designated to support endowment or specific programmatic priorities of the Y.

Gifts of Appreciated Securities
A gift of securities (stocks) can actually save on taxes twice — the donor may receive an income tax deduction for the full, current fair market value of securities held for more than one year, and may also avoid the capital gains tax on any appreciation in the value of the donated stock. Appreciated securities can also be used to make a bequest or to fund a charitable trust, gift annuity, pooled income fund donation, or other planned gift (See gift options below). By directly donating long-held appreciated securities, including stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares, rather than contributing after-tax proceeds of the sale of such securities, donors may substantially increase their gift to the Y, avoid capital gains taxes on such sales, and impact the tax deduction that may be realized through such a direct gift transaction.

Gifts of Personal Property, including Real Estate
As with gifts of appreciated securities, a gift of real estate or other personal property may offer tax advantages to donors whose gift may equal the full value of the property. Real estate may also be used to fund some planned gift arrangements and can make it possible for the donor to convert a non-income producing asset into a source of lifetime income.

Gifts through a Charitable Lead Trust (Income now to the Y, future income to the donor or beneficiary)
A charitable lead trust provides immediate and continuing support for the YMCA when a donor places assets in trust for a specific length of time, with income to be paid to the Y. When this type of trust terminates, the assets of the trust are transferred to the donor’s designated beneficiary. Donors interested in this type of trust arrangement are encouraged to review the potential tax impact of such a trust gift with their financial advisors.

Gifts Made Through a Will
The most straightforward way for a donor to make a significant gift to the Keene Family YMCA is to leave a gift through a will. A bequest can involve donation of a specific dollar from the estate assets, a percentage of the entire estate or a percentage of the remaining assets once all specific bequests have been honored. A bequest may also involve a gift of of personal property, including real estate. If a donor already has a will and does not wish to make other changes, a codicil (modifying statement) can easily be added to accommodate a gift to the Keene Family YMCA.

Retirement Plan/IRA Designation
A donor can designate the Keene Family YMCA as a beneficiary of an IRA, KEOGH, or other qualified pension plan. Such designation can be in an amount specified by the donor or stated as a percentage of any assets remaining in the account/plan at the time of the donor’s passing.

Gifts from a Living Trust
A living trust agreement is created during an individual’s lifetime or a couple’s joint lifetimes to meet their needs. In such trust arrangements, individuals are able to maintain control of those assets during their lifetime(s) and specify how the property or other assets in the trust will be distributed after their death.

Gifts of Life Insurance
Donors may designate the Keene Family YMCA as beneficiary of insurance policies they own. The enables this asset to bypass estate probate, and assures a future gift to the Y. As with other planned gifts, donors may designate how the proceeds from their insurance policy should be used to support the Y’s mission.

Charitable Remainder Trusts (Income for the donor or other beneficiary)
A charitable remainder trust, also called a unitrust, provides annual income to a donor or other beneficiary over time. Income to the donor/beneficiary typically varies, depending on the growth of the funds held in the trust. An annuity trust provides a set annual income, based on the fund’s initial value, for one or more beneficiaries. In both types of trust, the remainder of trust assets will come to the Y after the death of the final beneficiary. Charitable Remainder Trusts and Annuity Trusts are irrevocable, and as such, they may provide immediate tax deductions to donors, and potential on-going tax savings, along with possible estate tax benefits under certain circumstances.

Pooled Income Fund (Income to the donor or other beneficiary)
In a Pooled Income Fund, a donor makes an irrevocable gift to the Y to be invested, or pooled, with gifts from other donors in the fund, to provide an annual income to one or more individuals during the remainder of their life. After the death of the last income beneficiary, any balance remaining in the donor’s gift account will come to the YMCA, to be used as the donor specifies.