When you make a gift to the Amputee Coalition of America, you not only help support our mission and future success, you also receive certain benefits for your generosity. A charitable gift annuity (CGA) pays you and/or another person lifetime payments in exchange for your gift.

When considering a CGA, use these four steps to help you build the gift that is right for you and our organization.

 

1. Finalize Your Charitable Goals

Because a CGA benefits the Amputee Coalition after your and/or another's lifetime, you will need to think about your goals and desires and then determine what you wish to support. Would you like to restrict your gift to benefit a particular program or event? Or would you like your gift to remain unrestricted, allowing our board of directors to use your gift for our most pressing needs?

 

2. Determine Which Asset to Donate

Will you fund your gift annuity with cash, stocks, bonds or another asset? What is the asset's fair market value? Cash and marketable securities are easy to determine, while other assets may require an appraisal. If you have highly appreciated assets that you have owned longer than 1 year, what is the asset's cost basis? Are you currently receiving any income from the asset? If so, how much?

Once you answer these questions, compare the asset's income to the proposed gift annuity payments, which are based on your age at the time of your gift. Also, if you itemize your deductions, consider whether you want a charitable income tax deduction this year.

 

3. Designate Who Should Receive the Payments

Gift annuities make lifetime payments that you can never outlive. Think of whether you and/or another person would like to receive the payments. The person receiving the payments is often referred to as the annuitant; gift annuities allow up to two annuitants. You can provide payments for yourself or a parent, family member or friend.

 

4. Decide Your Payment Date

Would you like your payments to begin immediately, or would you prefer to defer your payments until a specific point in the future (e.g., 5 or 10 years from now)? Deferring your payments can benefit you by increasing your payment amount as well as your income tax deduction.

The final consideration is determining the frequency of payments that best fits your needs — whether you receive the payments quarterly, semiannually or annually.

 

Benefits for You and the ACA

Creating a charitable gift annuity is a highly effective strategy to help support the Amputee Coalition while offering you extraordinary benefits — a win-win situation.

For more information, please contact Kendra Calhoun at 202/360-5655 or kcalhoun@amputee-coalition.org or Patricia Isenberg at 888/267-5669 or pisenberg@amputee-coalition.org