Gifts of Stock
Donating a highly appreciated asset to the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation (OLSHF) may allow you to avoid a significant portion of your tax liability while still receiving a charitable contribution deduction.

For example, if you donate a long-term appreciated asset such as stock to OLSHF, you are generally entitled to an income tax deduction for the current fair market value of that asset, no matter what your original cost. Additionally, all capital gains tax that were due would be avoided. However, to take a deduction for gifts of securities at their current value, you must have owned them for one year and a day.* The asset you donate is usually removed from your taxable estate, which means an additional tax savings for your heirs.

The gift of an appreciated asset is a powerful way to support the Oregon Lions SIght & Hearing Foundation in its work. While this giving strategy has many obvious benefits, no doubt the most important is the satisfaction of knowing that your support helps advance the sight and hearing saving work of the OLSHF.

Planning your Estate - Giving Strategies
Most people commonly underestimate the value of what they own. They may not believe that they have an "estate." However, if you own anything at all, you have an estate. This includes cash, real estate, all personal property, investments, retirement plan assets, life insurance and other forms of assets. A well-drafted will allows you to ensure that the assets that you have accumulated over your lifetime are distributed according to your wishes.

Remembering the OLSHF in your will can ensure access to sight and hearing saving surgeries for those who can least afford it.

Life Insurance Policies
The options for life insurance gifts to the OLSHF are varied. Your existing policy, paid-up policy or new policy all can be used to make a gift of life insurance to support the OLSHF's mission. The benefit of designating an existing policy is an immediate income tax deduction, while a new policy offers deductions for continuing annual premiums. Designating the OLSHF as beneficiary or successor beneficiary of a single, term or group life insurance policy is also an option, although it offers less significant tax benefits.

Bequests
You can name the OLSHF as a beneficiary by creating a new will, adding a codicil to your present will, or including the OLSHF in your revocable trust.

You can name OLSHF as either a direct beneficiary of a set amount of money, a specific asset (e.g. 100 shares of stock), or a percentage of your estate. A legacy to the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Founation may take different forms, including:
· An outright bequest of cash, securities
· A beneficiary designation of a life insurance policy, a bank account, a retirement account
· A beneficiary of a living trust, or a testamentary trust

An individual may designate that a bequest be used for the general purposes of OLSHF, or to support a specific program. The following is a suggested form for such a bequest:

"I give and bequeath to the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation, with its principal offices presently located at 1410 SW Morrison, Suite 760, Portland, OR 97205 the sum of $_____, to be used for the accomplishment of its general purposes (or for a specific purpose, as indicated)."

Charitable Gift Annuities
A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract between you and the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation specifying that in return for a gift of cash or marketable securities, the OLSHF will provide the donor/ and or another beneficiary, fixed payments for life. Your payment rate will be between 5.5 percent and 11.5 percent, depending on your age when the annuity is established.

The benefits of establishing an Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation Charitable Gift Annuity include:
· Significant federal income tax deduction for the year the gift is funded
· Annuity income payments are exempt from federal income tax throughout the annuitant's life expectancy
· Receive a fixed and dependable income for life
· Your establishment of a Gift Annuity may also reduce probate costs and estate taxes

Upon the death of an annuitant, or the death of the trustee, the principal underlying the annuity then becomes available to the OLSHF to continue to expand its programs on behalf of Lions of Oregon.

Charitable Remainder Unitrusts
As the unitrust donor, you irrevocably transfer assets, generally cash or securities, to a trustee of your choice (for example, a bank trust department or the OLSHF).

A charitable remainder unitrust is a planned gift, defined by federal tax law that can provide income to yourself or others while making a gift to OLSHF. The income you receive can continue for the life of the beneficiaries you designate, a fixed term of no more than 20 years, or a combination of both.

During the term of the unitrust, the trustee invests the assets. Every year, the trustee distributes a fixed percentage of the current value of the unitrust, as revalued annually, to the income beneficiaries named by you. The payments must be at least 5% of the trust's yearly value and are made out of the trust income, or principal if the income is not adequate. Payments can be made annually, semiannually, or quarterly.

When the unitrust term ends, the principal passes to OLSHF, to be used for whatever purpose you designate.

Donor Advised Funds
If you have established a donor advised fund, it may be possible to recommend a charity to receive all or part of the assets remaining in the fund after your lifetime. You can name OLSHF as the beneficiary for part or all of these assets.

Gift Acceptance Policy
The acceptance of restricted gifts, personal property and closely held stocks will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Please contact Paul Morris, in our Resource Development Office at Paul.morris@orlions.org or call (503) 827-6952, ext 23 if you would like additional information or would like to receive a Major Giving Opportunities brochure.