Gifts That Provide You With Life Income

Annuities, Pooled Income Fund, Charitable Remainder Trust

©WCS

Life income gifts allow you to receive guaranteed payment for life, avoid or reduce capital gains tax, and support the Wildlife Conservation Society. In a life income plan, a donor makes a gift to WCS and receives lifetime payments. After you die, the remaining principal goes to support the programs and facilities of WCS. The three most popular lifetime income plans include the charitable gift annuity, pooled income fund, and charitable remainder trust. 

Charitable Gift Annuity
This is a contract between you and WCS. Once a gift is made, WCS is obligated to pay you a fixed income amount for the rest of your life. This payment is determined by your age and the number of beneficiaries. Gift annuities can be immediate, where the payments begin at the time the gift is made. Or, they can be deferred, where payments begin some future time and provide a higher payout rate. You receive an immediate tax deduction upon making a Charitable Gift Annuity, and a portion of your lifetime payments are tax-free. 10 and 15 year-deferred annuities are becoming popular options for baby-boomers as they plan for their retirements.

Pooled Income Fund
WCS has set up a special charitable fund to accept gifts from many donors. Your gift is invested with the others and each quarter, income -- made up of interest and dividends -- is paid directly to you on a pro-rata basis. Upon your death, or the death of your designated beneficiary, the remainder of your portion of the fund will be withdrawn and given to WCS.

State Street Global Advisors is the trustee of the WCS charitable gift annuity and pooled income fund programs. State Street is the largest provider of charitable trust services to non-profit organizations and individuals in the United States.

Charitable Remainder Trust

An effective tool in estate and financial planing is the Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT). A CRT is a flexible planned gift vehicle that provides you and/or other designated beneficiaries with income for life or another specified amount of time. After you die, the remaining assets are released to WCS and your other beneficiaries. Unlike the charitable gift annuity and the pooled income fund, this is an individually tailored plan.

By making any life income gift, you are entitled to membership in the Wildlife Heritage Circle recognition society. Click here for more details. For more information, please please contact the WCS Planned Giving office at 718-220-6894, or plannedgiving@wcs.org.