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Estate Planning Options

Planning your Estate – Giving Strategies

Most people commonly underestimate the value of what they own. They may not believe that they have an estate. However, if you own anything at all, you have an estate. This includes cash, real estate, all personal property, investments, retirement plan assets, life insurance and other forms of assets. A well-drafted will allows you to ensure that the assets that you have accumulated over your lifetime are distributed according to your wishes. Placing the Artz Center in your will can insure increased access to services for our clients.

Bequests

You can name the Artz Center as a beneficiary by creating a new will, adding a codicil to your present will, or including us in your revocable trust.

You can name The Artz Center as either a direct beneficiary of a set amount of money, a specific asset (e.g. 100 shares of stock), or a percentage of your estate. A legacy to the Artz Center for Developmental Health & Audiology may take different forms, including…

• An outright bequest of cash, securities
• A beneficiary designation of a life insurance policy, a bank account, a retirement account
• A beneficiary of a living trust, or a testamentary trust

An individual may designate that a bequest be used for the general purposes of The Artz Center, or to support a specific program. The following is a suggested form for such a bequest…

I give and bequeath to the Frederick J. Artz Center for Developmental Health & Audiology, formerly the Hearing & Speech Institute, a not-for-profit corporation, with its principal offices presently located at 1675 SW Marlow, Suite 200, Portland, OR  97225 the sum of $_____, to be used for the accomplishment of its general purposes (or for a specific purpose, as indicated).

Workplace Gifts

The convenience of donating at the workplace has made payroll deduction programs a popular alternative for the contributor. The Artz Center participates in the Combined Federal Campaign. We are also a United Way Giving Partner, please check with your human resources department to see if employee match is available to double the size of your gift!

Gifts of Stock

Donating a highly appreciated asset to the Artz Center may allow you to avoid a significant portion of your tax liability while still receiving a charitable contribution deduction.

For example, if you donate a long-term appreciated asset such as stock you are generally entitled to an income tax deduction for the current fair market value of that asset, no matter what your original cost. Additionally, all capital gains tax that were due would be avoided. However, to take a deduction for gifts of securities at their current value, you must have owned them for one year and a day.* The asset you donate is usually removed from your taxable estate, which means an additional tax savings for your heirs.

The gift of an appreciated asset is a powerful way to support the Artz Center, our clients and our community work.

Charitable Remainder Unitrusts

As the unitrust donor, you irrevocably transfer assets, generally cash or securities, to a trustee of your choice (for example, a bank trust department or the Artz Center).

A charitable remainder unitrust is a planned gift, defined by federal tax law that can provide income to yourself or others while making a gift to the Center. The income you receive can continue for the life of the beneficiaries you designate, a fixed term of no more than 20 years, or a combination of both.

During the term of the unitrust, the trustee invests the assets. Every year, the trustee distributes a fixed percentage of the current value of the unitrust, as revalued annually, to the income beneficiaries named by you. The payments must be at least 5% of the trust’s yearly value and are made out of the trust income, or principal if the income is not adequate. Payments can be made annually, semiannually, or quarterly.

When the unitrust term ends, the principal passes to the Artz Center, to be used for whatever purpose you designate.

Gift Acceptance Policy

The acceptance of restricted gifts, personal property and closely held stocks will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Please contact our Development Office at giving@artzcenter.org or call 503.802.5303 if you would like additional information or would like to receive more information about our organization.