The Union welcomes bequests from its friends and supporters. Through a bequest, you can have a direct impact on the Union's future and, at the same time, receive direct practical advantages: a charitable gift is 100% deductible from your taxable estate. A bequest may be large or small, and it may be used to support the general purposes of the Union or be restricted to an area or program that is of special interest to you.

Bequests can include cash, securities, real estate, other property, a percentage of the residue of your estate, or all the residue of your estate.

Donors to the Union have the satisfaction of knowing that they are supporting the most vibrant stream of Judaism in North America. In addition, a life income gift offers added rewards:

• It pays you, your beneficiary, or both, an income for life—in many cases a larger income than the gift property is presently earning for you.
• It can offer significant tax advantages in the form of an immediate charitable deduction, avoidance of capital gains tax upon sale of any appreciated assets, and an eventual estate tax savings.
• It relieves you of the burdens of asset management and enables you to support, in a significant way, the Reform Movement in which you have a particular interest.

There are several principal types of life income gifts, giving you a range of choice in your investment and estate planning. One of them may be ideally suited to your particular circumstances.

A charitable remainder trust is a lifetime gift option that can be tailored to meet your specific requirements. This popular option can help you avoid capital gains taxes and reduce income and estate taxes. It can provide an income stream to you and/or other beneficiaries for life or a period of years. The remainder is then put to use by the Union according to your instructions.

There are two types of Charitable Remainder Trusts, the Unitrust and the Annuity Trust. The payments to beneficiaries can be either a percentage of the trust principal each year (unitrust), or a fixed dollar amount provided (annuity trust). Payments are made to the income beneficiaries regardless of actual income earned by the trust portfolio.

A unitrust provides a variable income based on investment performance. Unitrust income is calculated as a fixed percentage of the value of the trust, determined annually. If trust investment performance exceeds annual income payments to you, the trust's value and your income should increase each year. An annuity trust provides a fixed income stream at a guaranteed level based on the value of the trust's assets at the time it is established.

As with any other charitable gift, you will gain a charitable deduction from your taxes in the year you establish your CRT. At the end of the term of the trust, the assets revert to the ATS and are used for purposes you specified.

A gift that gives back: One of the easiest ways to provide for the Union’s future as well as your own while saving taxes and receiving regular payments for life is to support the Union through its three pooled income fund. A gift to one of these funds also allows you to provide life income to yourself and/or another beneficiary,benefit from a charitable income tax deduction,donate your highly appreciated securities without incurring capital gains tax,and reduce estate taxes.

This instrument allows you to achieve greater investment diversification by investing in a large multi-asset pool. The Union’s fund consists of life income gifts invested in a broad range of equity and fixed-income mutual funds. On the death of your named beneficiaries, the proportionate share is withdrawn from the fund and used for the purpose you designate.

A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract between a donor and the Union. In exchange for your gift of cash or marketable securities, the Union will agree to pay you or your beneficiary a fixed income for life. The Union guarantees the payments: the law requires us to use all our financial resources to ensure the annuity payments. The annuity return will be, in most cases, higher than that available to you in the marketplace.

Annuity payments are based on the amount of the gift, current interest rates and other market factors, and your age or the ages of your beneficiaries at the time the gift is made. Annuity payments, once established, are fixed and will not be affected by inflation, financial market corrections, or fluctuations in the economy.

Your charitable gift annuity provides you with an immediate income-tax deduction in the year it is established. If you fund your annuity with appreciated securities, you will also avoid any capital gains tax resulting from a sale or other transfer of the securities. A portion of each annuity payment is considered a tax-free return of principal.

For more information about the Union’s life income gift plans, please send an e-mail to the Union’s Development Department at development@urj.org, or call 866-840-3029.