Why Should You Notify Us About Your Planned Gift?

Notifying us of your intentions is an important step when making any type of planned gift. Unfortunately, it's a step many of our donors neglect. A 2019 Special Report from Giving USA found that just 4 percent of donors always notify their charities about their planned gifts, and 38.7 percent sometimes inform the organizations.

Six Good Reasons

So what's the big deal? It turns out there are several:

1. We might not get your gift if we don't know about it. Sometimes heirs contest charitable donations. Sometimes brokerage and insurance services are slow to pay out on a planned gift or beneficiary designation. Sometimes they won't pay out at all until we contact them - the latter has actually happened!
2. Knowing about a future gift helps us plan. Gifts may be used for day-to-day operations, community outreach programs, construction, expansion, or even an initiative stipulated by you. Imagine our organization trying to budget for the future if we have no idea what sort of funding will be available.
3. We need to know about restrictions. Some of you want to place restrictions on your gift that are outside of our gift acceptance policy, (which specifies the types of gifts we can receive). Knowing about a planned gift in advance helps us determine if it is appropriate, and helps us to make recommendations to maximize your gift's efficacy.
4. You need tax documentation. Some planned gifts carry tax benefits to the donor. If you don't alert us about your intentions, we cannot provide you with the proper documentation for the IRS—meaning you won't get your taxable deduction.
5. We can keep you informed. When we know who you are, we can notify you of programs and activities that would be of interest to you.
6. We want to thank you. There's another important reason for notifying us in advance: to thank you and learn what inspired you to make your gift. Some of our donors have allowed us to tell their stories, which inspire others to give. (However, you can choose to remain anonymous if you wish).

A Simple Process

The best thing you can do is contact us to tell us about your gift. We need just six pieces of information: the amount, type of gift, the type of account it's coming from, any restrictions you'd like to place on the gift, your contact information, and a contact for your estate (trust attorney, executor, etc.) It's that easy.

The bottom line? Both you and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation benefit from proper planned gift reporting. Gift reporting helps us plan for and collect intended donations, and it helps you to ensure your wishes are respected. Reporting a planned gift is a crucial step that should never be skipped.

Ready to get started? Click on one of the links below.

• Sample Bequest Language
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More on Bequests