Gift Planning

There are almost as many ways to make a gift to the animals of the Charlevoix Area Humane Society as there are animals coming through our doors. Read through this section to help you decide which way will fit your personal circumstances and the needs of your heirs.

Gifts can be grouped by those that you make today and by gifts that benefit the animals after your lifetime.

Gifts that you can make during your lifetime:

  • Charitable IRA Rollover
  • Memorial and Honorary Gifts
  • Charitable Lead Trusts
  • Donor Advised funds

Gifts you can make after your lifetime:

  • Bequests
  • Beneficiary Designations
  • Endowed Gifts

Charitable IRA Rollover

Make tax-free gifts from your IRA under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 which allows individuals over age 70 ½ who are willing to transfer up to $50,000 to a charitable remainder trust or into a charitable annuity agreement without undesirable tax consequences.

You may contribute funds this way if the following conditions are met:

  • You are age 70½ or older at the time of the gift
  • The gifts total any amount up to $50,000
  • You transfer funds directly from an IRA into a charitable annuity agreement or a charitable remainder trust

The benefits that you accrue beyond supporting a cause that you care about are several. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction and it may count against your unsatisfied required minimum distribution.

As with all gift planning, it is wise to consult tax professionals if you are contemplating gifts under this extended law.

Memorial and Honorary Gifts

Making a gift in the name of a loved one, whether it be two or four-legged, is a great way to support our continuing efforts, honor a loved one and receive personal financial benefits in the form of a tax deduction.

Any charitable gift you arrange can be made in honor of someone. You may either gift outright by giving a gift today to help us fund our immediate needs or leave a bequest in your will or living trust. A bequest can be a specific asset, a certain dollar amount or a percentage of your estate that will pass to CAHS at your death to support our efforts and to honor a loved one.

Charitable Lead Trusts

If you are financially comfortable enough that you can forego investment income on some of your assets, this is an excellent way to support CAHS and still maintain the asset for family members upon your death.

It works through the giving of assets to a trust which pays out dividend and interest income to the charity of choice for a given number of years which you choose. The longer the length of time the better the gift tax savings for you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to your family or other beneficiaries that you select.

There are two types of charitable lead trusts defined by the way that they distribute income to your charity of choice. A charitable lead annuity trust pays a fixed amount each year. The second type, a charitable lead unitrust, pays according to the value of the trust’s assets. If the value increases, the payments will increase and conversely, if the value decreases the annual payment will be decreased.
These types of trusts benefit you and your heirs while allowing you to support those causes that you care about.

Donor Advised Funds

The Charlevoix Area Humane Society, in cooperation with the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, has established an endowment to which donations can be made. Additionally, the foundation manages donor advised funds.

These funds are established by you and are to be used according to your wishes in the support of the charity of your choice. You can find out more about and/or establish such a fund for the Charlevoix Area Humane Society, by contacting the foundation either through their website at www.c3f.org or telephoning them at their offices in Charlevoix County at 231-536-2440.

Bequests & Beneficiary Designations

Your support in the present makes it possible for us to provide critical services and programs for companion animals and their families that come to us for assistance. When you plan a gift to the Charlevoix Area Humane Society in your long-term estate or financial plans, you help ensure that we’ll be here, committed to the welfare of animals, for many years to come.

Just as there are many ways to contribute to the cause in the present, there are many types of bequests to set up your giving in a way that best suits your wishes and takes care of your family. In general, a charitable bequest works for anyone who would like to support our work in the future. Because you can change your mind at any time and make your gift in relative proportion to bequests to family and friends, this type of gift has universal appeal.

  • A specific bequest gives us a particular piece of property. If you disposed of the property before your death, we won't receive your intended gift because we cannot claim any other property.
  • A general bequest gives us a stated sum of money. If there is insufficient cash in your estate to cover the bequest, other assets will be sold for cash to honor your wishes for us.
  • A residuary bequest gives the "rest, residue and remainder" of your estate, or a percentage of the remainder, after all other bequests, debts and taxes have been paid.
  • A contingent bequest provides for a bequest to a person or other named beneficiary first but, in the absence of that named entity (due to their death or dissolution), the funds would then go directly to the charity of your choice. 

Additionally, you can choose how you want the gift to be used.

  • An unrestricted bequest allows us to use the assets in the most beneficial way. 
  • A restricted bequest allows you to specify how we are to use the funds. Contact us in advance to be certain your intent can be fulfilled.
  • An endowed bequest allows you to restrict the principal of your gift so we can use only a small portion each year, typically allowing the fund to last forever.

Whether you need to create a will or trust, or simply update an old document, you'll want to seek the help of an estate planning attorney. If you wish, let us know when you have made plans for such a gift. We would love the opportunity to thank you for your generous act and rest assured that we are happy to honor your wishes regarding anonymity.

Thank You!
We wish to thank you for your consideration to support the work of the Charlevoix Area Humane Society. If you have read through this section we will assume that you share our passion for the homeless animals throughout the world and specifically here in the Charlevoix County region. We serve the families and companion animals of Charlevoix, Boyne City, East Jordan, Elmira, Walloon Lake and the environs between them and have been dedicated to their health and well being since 1974. Join us won’t you? The animals, and those of us who care for them, will be forever grateful.