Review Your Financial Strategies and Renew Your Investment in Conservation

Tax season is upon us and it’s time for all of us to take a fresh look at our investment strategies. In other words, it’s time for a financial check-up! Here are some investment vehicles you can evaluate to ensure your financial future is in good health and at the same time, deepen your commitment to conservation.

Charitable Trust. A trust can provide significant tax benefits to you or your heirs. With a charitable remainder trust, you can create a charitable trust by donating cash or other assets to the trust, and receive either a fixed or variable annual income. The remainder of the trust passes to one or more charities upon your death or at the termination of the trust. With a charitable lead trust, you can contribute an initial partial interest in cash or other property to a charity for a fixed number of years, after which the remainder interest either reverts to you or passes to one or more non-charitable beneficiaries of your choice.

Charitable Gift Annuity. A life income gift, such as a charitable gift annuity (CGA), allows you to convey assets this year and yet continue to receive income into the future. The process is as simple as transferring cash or stock to establish the CGA. The income — an annual amount, which is agreed upon when you create the trust — can be paid to you and/or a loved one for life, after which the assets are distributed outright to WPC.

How do you benefit?

• Through tax benefits that position you and/or your estate in a way that minimizes taxation.
• Through annual income benefits that provide you and a designated loved one with income for life at a competitive and fair rate.
  

Leave a Legacy

One of the simplest and most direct ways to make a long-term investment in conservation is by including WPC in your will. You can give almost any kind of asset to WPC through a bequest, including cash, securities, real estate (such as a residence), tangible personal property (such as works of art or antiques), or the remainder of your IRA, tax-sheltered annuity, qualified pension or profit-sharing plan. And it’s not payable until death, so it does not affect your assets or cash flow during your lifetime.

It’s reassuring to know that you can leave a legacy that perpetuates the things that matter most to you. That’s why you should consider investing in one of the many planned giving vehicles available at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Take a look at our website at www.paconserve.org to learn more about how you can make a significant contribution to helping us save the places you care about! For additional information on ways to give to WPC, contact Moira A. Aulbach at 412-586-2396 or maulbach@paconserve.org.

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