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Leave a Legacy

Creating a charitable legacy is one of the most lasting and powerful actions you can take.

Estate Planning and Planned Gifts

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa offers planned giving options to create a highly personalized legacy that reflects your love of community and values. We are here to find charitable solutions that help you fulfill your wishes for the future, receive income, or benefit your favorite causes.

Bequest (Gift in your Will)

The simplest way to leave a planned gift is to make a bequest that includes specific language in your will or living trust naming CFNEIA as the recipient of a testamentary gift. Gifts can be cash, securities, or personal property. You may contribute a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the residual of your estate in this manner. Your estate will receive a charitable deduction for the full donation, so your heirs will not pay estate tax on these assets.

Retirement Assets by Beneficiary Designation

You can name CFNEIA as the beneficiary of your retirement funds, such as an individual retirement account (IRA), 401k, or 403b plans. This is a simple, effective way to benefit the community while avoiding significant, often unanticipated tax penalties. Any remaining retirement fund assets are subject to multiple taxes if left to an individual other than your spouse. Donating retirement accounts can reduce or eliminate these taxes completely and make a significant impact on the community.

IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

If you are 70 1/2 years of age or older, your IRA can make a difference today and save on taxes. The IRA charitable rollover, or qualified charitable distribution (QCD), allows individuals to make direct transfers of up to $108,000 per year to qualified charities, like the Community Foundation. Individuals do not have to count the transfers as income for federal income tax purposes and transfers may satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD). Click here for more details. (PDF)

Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA)

Charitable gift annuities provide future income to you and/or a loved one for life, as well as support for organizations that are meaningful to you. With a charitable gift annuity, you make an irrevocable contribution to CFNEIA. We pay a fixed dollar amount to you and/or a designated family member or friend for life. The amount received depends on the size of your gift and the age(s) of the person(s) receiving the payments. Income is guaranteed, regardless of market fluctuations.

Charitable Remainder Trust

By transferring assets to establish a charitable remainder trust, you receive an immediate tax deduction and lifetime income for you and your named beneficiary. You can also reduce or avoid capital gains taxes associated with the gifted asset, and you would remove the assets from your estate. When the trust’s term is complete, any remaining assets pass to CFNEIA to establish a fund of your choice. Charitable remainder trusts offer a great deal of flexibility, and you can receive a fixed dollar amount each year (an annuity trust), or a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets (a unitrust).

Charitable Lead Trust

A charitable lead trust distributes income to your charitable fund for a period of years or during your lifetime. Then the assets return to you or your surviving family members. The result is gift and estate tax savings. A charitable lead trust can allow you to make a significant gift to charity and transfer assets to family members with little or no gift and estate tax.

Our Legacy Society

If you arrange for a legacy gift to CFNEIA or one of our affiliates, we want to thank you for your planned generosity by inviting you to join this special group of like-minded people. You may become a member of the Legacy Society simply by letting us know you have designated a gift through your estate plans to an existing fund or to create a new fund, even if you choose to remain anonymous. By informing us of your generosity you allow us to honor you during your lifetime. We also meet periodically to thank you and learn about our community. You will receive updates and invitations to gather and celebrate community with other members of the Legacy Society.

Start a Conversation

Our Charitable Impact Team are experts in identifying the most effective charitable solutions to create the impact you want to make. Let us help you turn your vision into an inspired plan of action.
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