Planned giving: A lasting gift to the community

Including a charitable bequest to the Evanston Community Foundation in your will makes it easy to leave a lasting gift to your community. Your gift builds resources available to meet future challenges and becomes your personal legacy.

As needs change over time, a bequest to the general endowment is always an appropriate way to make a future gift. You may also designate that your gift be used within a defined field of interest, or for the benefit of a specific nonprofit organization.

A legacy gift to the Foundation allows you to retain the assets you need during your lifetime while offering significant tax benefits to your estate and heirs. You can include the Foundation in your estate plan at any age, by adding to an existing will or drafting a new one.

Still other gift planning techniques allow you to make irrevocable commitments of assets now, and realize significant income as well as capital gains and federal and state estate tax savings. Such tax-considered plans can generate lifetime income for up to two people.

You can make gifts of cash, appreciated stocks or other assets; you can give a stated dollar amount, a specific property, a percentage of your estate or the remainder after distributions to other beneficiaries. The Foundation's expertise allows us to handle sophisticated gifts of personal assets and ensures that your gift will be invested for maximum return.

For sample language to make a bequest to the Foundation, see below. We recommend that you consult your attorney, financial planner or other professional advisor in making such plans. For a confidential discussion of options to include the Foundation in your estate, contact us at 847-492-0990.

While it is not necessary to inform the Foundation of future gifts like these, we would appreciate the opportunity to thank you for your commitment and to clarify any questions we may have about your wishes.  Your planned gift also makes you eligible for membership in our Pillars of Evanston Society.

Sample Bequest Language
“I give, bequeath and devise (_____% or $___________or specifically designated asset) to the Evanston Community Foundation, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, to be used for (the general purposes of the Foundation or specific area of interest or field of interest fund or donor advised fund).