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PLAN AHEAD IN PROVIDING FOR THE PEOPLE AND CAUSES YOU CHERISH MOST

A planned estate gift is an amazing way to show your gratitude and support into the future. A planned gift can be an important part of an estate plan, providing an excellent method of reducing taxes. El Rio’s planned giving program, The El Rio Foundation Legacy Society, was established to allow donors to make larger gifts than otherwise possible without undue financial sacrifice. These types of contributions allow you to enjoy the financial benefits and recognition of such a gift, along with the knowledge that your support has made a difference into the future.

An up-to-date estate plan is one of your most effective tools for protecting the security of your family and loved ones. But, did you know that you can also use your estate plan to play a role in carrying out El Rio’s vital mission?

When you create a will or living trust, you have the ability to decide how your assets will be distributed at your passing. You can include provisions, or bequests, that indicate to whom you would like to give specific assets or amounts.

Besides naming family members and other loved ones, you can also include bequests to charitable organizations such as El Rio Foundation. When you include a gift to us in your estate plan, you join a group of key supporters, The El Rio Foundation Legacy Society, whose donations have made possible some of our first 50 years of healthcare to the community and serving more than 128,000+ people annually.

ADVANTAGES OF A BEQUEST

It is easy to do. Making a bequest is a simple as inserting a few sentences into your will or living trust.

  • You can change your mind. Your estate plan can be changed at any time. With a bequest, you are not actually making a gift until your death. Until then, you are free to alter your plans, eliminating the worry that you might make a commitment you could later regret.
  • It costs nothing now. Making a bequest costs you nothing today. Yet, it gives you the personal satisfaction of knowing that you have created a lasting legacy at El Rio Foundation. Since a bequest is a promise of a gift to be made in the future, it does not impact your current savings or day-to-day spending.
MAKE YOUR FREE WILL AND LEGACY

To help you get started on your plans and legacy, you can use FreeWill, an online tool that guides you through the process of creating your will or trust. It’s easy to use, accessible online, and can be completed in 20 minutes.

You can use this resource on its own, or use it to document your wishes before finalizing your plans with an attorney.

NOTIFY US OF A GIFT

Have you already included a gift in your will or trust? Please fill out this form to let us know! We would love to thank you for your generosity.

PLAN FOR YOUR NON-PROBATE ASSETS

Do you have an IRA, 401(k), life-insurance policy, or any other assets not included in your will? If so, these are called non-probate assets and you must plan your beneficiaries for them separately. Use this online tool to make your plans and designate us as a beneficiary of one or more of these assets.

HOW IT WORKS

Your estate planning attorney can help you structure a gift so your wishes for your loved ones and treasured causes will be accurately fulfilled. You can include charitable bequest when you create your will or living trust, or you can add a bequest later by means of a codicil to your will or an amendment to your trust.

Just a few simple sentences, called bequest language, in your will or living trust are all that are needed.  You can give us a specific item or amount, or you can give us a percentage of what is left of your estate after others have received their share. A percentage allows your gift to remain proportional to your estate size.

Although not necessary, notifying us that we are being named in your will or trust documents helps ensure that your bequest will be executed in the manner you intended.

 ARE YOU READY?
  • A bequest in your estate plan is right for you if:
    • You want the opportunity to influence not only the future ownership of your possessions, but the meaning that others assign to your life.
    • You have a will or living trust, or are ready to create one.
    • You want to continue your support of El Rio Foundation after your lifetime.
    • You want to balance your generosity to us with an assurance that loved ones are taken care of first.
    • You want to maintain the flexibility to change your mind at any time.
4 WAYS TO MAKE A BEQUEST TO EL RIO FOUNDATION

You should discuss these various strategies with your estate planning attorney as you prepare to create or update your estate plan.

A bequest is simple specific language, expressed in your will or trust that outlines your wishes to leave a gift after your lifetime.  You retain ownership and use of the assets today, while maintaining the option to change your bequest at anytime.

This is an outright bequest and is usually a gift of a stated sum of money. It remains effective even if there is not sufficient cash to make the bequest; other estate assets must be sold to meet the bequest.

This is an outright bequest of the “rest, residue and remainder” of your estate after all bequests, debts and taxes have been paid. Divide your estate according to percentages of the residue to ensure that beneficiaries receive the proportions you desire.

This is a bequest made on the condition that a certain event must occur before distribution to the beneficiary. This bequest is specific in nature and is not effective if the condition is not met.

This is an outright bequest that is a gift of a certain item to a particular beneficiary. If the item has been disposed of before death, the bequest is not effective and no claim can be made to any other property.

NEXT STEPS:

Consult an Attorney

Using the services of an estate planning attorney is always a best practice. You need someone who understand the laws in AZ as well as federal law and someone who can help translate your wishes appropriately.

John Fung, Major Gifts Officer
Phone: 520-309-2415 Email: john.fung@elrio.org

OR

Brenda Goldsmith, Executive Director
Phone: 520-205-4948 Email: brendag@elrio.org

El Rio Foundation
Manning House  450 W. Paseo Redondo  Tucson, AZ  85701