Join the Pinnacle Society
Membership in the Institute's estate planning program — the Pinnacle Society — is bestowed on donors who include the Institute in bequests, who name the Institute as the recipient of insurance policies or trusts, or who make deferred gifts of real estate or other property. Gifts to the program may be unrestricted or may be made in support of any of the Institute's programmatic or administrative initiatives.
A Gift by Will or Bequest
A gift made to the Institute through a will, commonly known as a bequest, enables donors to make contributions without diminishing assets during their lifetimes. Donors may make bequests to charities that are for specific purposes or for general support. A bequest offers donors the opportunity to make gifts of personal assets that can be fully deducted from an estate. Gifts may be for specific amounts, a percentage of the estate, or for specific property within an estate.
Life Insurance Gifts
A gift of life insurance is another means of making a contribution to the Institute. The Institute may be named as the owner and irrevocable beneficiary of whole and term life policies. Such gifts may be a paid-up policy, an existing policy with cash value, or a new policy. Premiums paid after the policy has been contributed to the organization are deductible, and donors earn charitable deductions equal to the present cash-surrender value of the policy.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Charitable remainder trusts make it possible for donors to retain or even increase income during their lifetimes for themselves or for the lifetimes of other beneficiaries and, at the same time, to donate substantial gifts at the time of their death to organizations about which they care. Charitable remainder trusts may be particularly advantageous if the donor's assets are highly appreciated, but provide minimal income. Charitable remainder trusts may be structured to pay donors or their beneficiaries a fixed amount or a fixed percentage of the market value of the trust. A contribution to the Institute in the form of a charitable remainder trust makes it possible for donors to receive income for life while making a gift of the principal to the Institute after the death of the income beneficiary. Cash, stocks or other securities, or real estate or other property may be used to fund a charitable remainder trust.
Real Estate
Donors may contribute real estate to the Institute, and, if they wish, retain the right to reside in the property for their lifetimes. When such gifts are made, donors receive deductions in the year in which the gifts are made.
For More Information
To find out more about these and other gift options, please consult with your legal or financial advisor to discuss their benefits and to ensure that you receive the tax benefits you desire. Highly technical rules govern certain types of charitable giving. While Institute for Global Ethics staff do not provide professional advice on estate planning, they are happy to discuss with you and your professional advisors, in confidence, gift opportunities that help ensure your needs are met.
Donors wishing to become members of the Pinnacle Society or to learn more about the estate planning program may contact the Institute's office in Camden, Maine. Please call us at or or contact us by email at to talk further about giving options
