Plans of Giving to the Memorial
Endowment Trust

1. Provision by Will
2. Life Insurance
3. Retirement Plans
4. Charitable Remainder Trusts
5. Gifts of appreciated property
6. Gift Annuity Agreement

1. How to Make a Gift by Will
1. 

   We invite you to join the UUCC Chalice Society by letting us know that you have included a gift to Memorial Endowment Trust in your estate plans.

   Your example may encourage others to join suit and provide for the future of our liberal religion. Here is some suggested bequest language you can share with your attorney to assist in drafting a will or codicil that will achieve your charitable estate plans (see Other Types of Bequests for additional language suggestions: I give _________ [$ amount, description of property, or % of estate] to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte Memorial Endowment Trust, for its unrestricted use.

2. Life Insurance

   1. Some folks no longer need their life insurance that was purchased years ago to provide for children or other family members. If you are in this situation, you may want to name the UUCC Memorial Endowment Trust as a beneficiary or contingent beneficiary. Any benefit the MET receives from your insurance will be excluded from your taxable estate.

      If you name the MET as irrevocable beneficiary and owner of your life insurance policy, you are eligible for an immediate income tax charitable deduction equivalent to the policy's cash surrender value or replacement value. If additional premium payments are due, you can deduct those payments as charitable contributions.

3. Retirement Plans

   One of the most popular ways to give to a charitable organization is through the beneficiary designation on your retirement funds. These could be IRAs, 401(k), 403(b), or annuities. The advantages to making this type of gift are several:

   1. Unlike a family member who will likely have a large portion of the distribution lost in taxes, the charitable organization gets the full benefit. Giving this way can help maximize estate and income tax savings for your heirs.
   2. This gift can also be arranged without changing other estate documents. Often this change is simply done with a “Change of Beneficiary” form provided by the institution that holds the investment.
   3. One can designate the charity as sole beneficiary or entitled to a certain percent of the assets at your death.


4. Charitable Remainder Trusts

   1. These are irrevocable trusts that feature income based on the value of the property donated. The trust may pay a fixed amount based on the value of the assets at the time the trust is created, or provide a fluctuating income based on a fixed percentage of the trust’s annual value.

      When the trust is created, capital gains tax can be avoided or postponed, and an income tax deduction is available for a portion of the value of the property. In addition, capital gains and /or dividend income from the charitable remainder trust may be taxed more favorably that other income. Gifts made in this way can result in tax savings as well.

5. Gifts of Appreciated Property

   When stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, and other appreciated assets are sold, tax is due on any capital gain. Those who enjoy making charitable gifts are often pleased to learn that when appreciated property is given that has been held long-term (more that 12 months), an income tax deduction is generally allowed, based on current value of the property rather than just its cost. It is usually best to donate property that would be subject to the highest amount of tax if sold.

   The combined benefits of bypassing tax on the capital gain, receiving an income tax deduction, and making a charitable gift can be substantial.

6. Gift Annuity Agreement

   A charitable gift annuity is an arrangement where you contribute cash or marketable securities in exchange for the MET’s promise to pay one or two people a guaranteed income for life at a rate based on the age(s) of the annuitant(s). If you are planning for retirement or want to increase income, reduce capital gains taxes, secure a fixed income, and make a significant gift to the future of Unitarian Universalism, then this option may be right for you.

   For further information on any of these plans of giving, contact the church office to be referred to a member of the UUCC Memorial Endowment Trustees.

Charitable Tax Status
The UUCC is an IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) and 170(c) charitable religious organization. The UUCC tax-exempt federal identification number is 56-6056289. For estate tax purposes, bequests, legacies, devises, or transfers to the UUCC or the Trust are deductible as they are in accord with the provision of the Internal Revenue Code Section 2055(a) and related regulations.