Planned Giving

The IRA Gift (Qualified Charitable Distribution or QCD):

Your IRA can provide a tax-smart way to make an impact with Helping Strays now. The Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), sometimes called an “IRA Charitable Rollover”, is a great way to make a tax-free gift to Helping Strays now and satisfy your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).

How do I qualify to make a gift from my IRA? 

• You must be 70½ years or older at the time of the gift.
• Gifts must go directly from your IRA to Helping Strays. 
• For 2026, total QCD gifts cannot exceed $111,000 per donor.

Benefits of the QCD 

• If you don’t itemize your income tax deductions, a QCD offers all of the benefits of an itemized income tax charitable deduction. 
• If you are age 73 or older and must take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), a QCD gift can satisfy your RMD without increasing your income taxes.
• You may direct your gift to a program or area of your choice.
• It is a wonderful way to create an immediate impact on Helping Strays. 

How can I make an IRA charitable rollover?

Contact your IRA administrator to request a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA to Helping Strays. 

Giving through your estate: 

A charitable gift from your estate is a favored method of giving that enables you to achieve your financial goals and benefit Helping Strays in ways that may not be possible through lifetime gifts. If your estate is subject to estate tax, giving through your estate plan generates a charitable estate tax deduction, which may result in substantial tax savings. You may direct all or a portion of your estate to Helping Strays. 

Bequests: 

A bequest may be right for you if:

• You want to make a gift to Helping Strays.
• You want the flexibility to change your mind.
• You want continued access to your wealth, should you need it.
• You are concerned about outliving your resources.

How it Works

• You make Helping Strays a beneficiary in your will, or a designated beneficiary of your retirement plan, life insurance policy, or other asset.
• Helping Strays receives your gift when your estate is settled.

Beneficiary designation:

While most assets are transferred through a will, retirement plans and life insurance policies are governed by a separate document, called a beneficiary designation. One of the simplest ways to make a gift to Helping Strays is to designate us to receive your assets at the end of your lifetime. You can specify all or a percentage of the assets you want each beneficiary to receive. Often, it's as easy as filling out a form. Beneficiary designations are an option for giving the following financial assets:

Retirement Account assets

An alternative to a charitable bequest is to designate Helping Strays as the beneficiary of your retirement account assets. This gift is simple because there is no need to modify your will or living trust. All you need to do is complete a beneficiary designation form with your plan administrator. A gift of retirement assets has the added advantage of being a very tax-wise way to make an estate gift. This is because your retirement assets, if left to individuals, will be subject to income tax when they receive distributions and, for most non-spouses, those distributions must take place within 10 years, potentially pushing your beneficiaries into higher income tax brackets. If you give your retirement assets to a tax-exempt organization such Helping Strays, 100% of the retirement assets will be available for our charitable purposes. If you want to remember us in your estate plan, a tax-efficient strategy is to leave other types of assets—cash, securities, real estate to your heirs and give the more heavily taxed retirement assets to Helping Strays.

Note: Directing your retirement assets to both charitable and noncharitable beneficiaries can accelerate the income tax. Always consult with your advisors before naming the beneficiaries of your retirement assets.

Life Insurance

You can also use a life insurance policy to make a gift to Helping Strays. It’s usually as simple as completing a form with the insurance company designating us as the beneficiary of all or a portion of the death benefit of your life insurance policy. As an alternative to naming us as the beneficiary, you can transfer ownership of the policy. Transferring ownership can produce an immediate income tax charitable deduction for the value of the policy and future income tax deductions if you continue to pay premiums on the policy.

Other Assets

Commercial Annuity Contracts: a commercial annuity will sometimes have a remaining value at the end of the annuitant’s lifetime. You can name Helping Strays to receive all or part of this amount by designating us as a beneficiary (sole or partial) on the appropriate form from the insurance company.

Bank Accounts: you can instruct your bank to pay Helping Strays all or a portion of what remains in a checking or savings account. Your bank can provide you with the appropriate beneficiary designation form.

Investment Accounts: you can instruct your investment company to transfer to Helping Strays some or all investments held in the account at the time of your passing. Your broker or agent can help you complete the process, which may be as simple as amending the name on the account to include us.