Planned Giving Options

Make A Difference for Special Olympics Athletes and Yourself; Consider an Estate or Legacy Gift

Three decades ago, Special Olympics invited the world to let go of limiting views, prejudices and misconceptions about people with cognitive disabilities and embrace the idea that they can be respected, valued, contributing members of society. Today, the Special Olympics movement embraces more than 1 million athletes who train and compete in 25 sports. There are more than 150 Special Olympics programs around the world. While it has been able to improve the lives of those many athletes, the Special Olympics movement has touched less than one percent of the estimated 170 million people around the world with cognitive disabilities.

A thoughtfully planned estate gift can help us reach those who haven't had the opportunity to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy through participation in our program. The effect of your gift will go well beyond the ball fields and playing courts. Your influence will extend into classrooms, family rooms and work environments, where our athletes - because of their participation in Special Olympics -- have become more effective and productive family members, employees and students. Your contribution can significantly advance our mission around the globe.

Making charitable contributions is an art - a creative process that adapts to the changing needs and wishes of the donor. Planned or legacy giving is an increasingly popular way for individuals of all financial circumstances to make charitable gifts, enabling a donor to arrange charitable contributions in ways that maximize his or her personal objectives. Indeed, there are a variety of plans designed to ensure a gift will be put to the best possible use and fit the donor's financial needs and objectives. We are pleased to outline several opportunities you may wish to consider as you plan your own charitable gifts.

Donor Benefits
Private philanthropy is the foundation of almost every nonprofit organization, including Special Olympics. To preserve the memory of a loved one, to fulfill a moral obligation, to express gratitude for a service well-performed, to demonstrate deep-felt humanitarian concerns--these are some of the reasons hundreds of thousands of people each year contribute to charitable organizations.

Depending on the country, the asset given and the gift arrangement selected, a donor can generally expect to obtain some or all of the following benefits:

• Fulfill personal philanthropic goals
• Reduce income tax through a deduction for the gift
• Avoid capital-gain tax on gifts of long-term appreciated property
• Retain a stream of payments for life for the donor and for other beneficiaries
• Eliminate federal estate tax on property passing to charity upon the donor's death
• Reduce costs and time in estate settlement

Kinds of Gifts
There are many ways to make a planned gift. The most popular gifts include naming Special Olympics as a beneficiary in a will, making Special Olympics the owner and beneficiary of a life insurance policy, making a gift of tangible personal property (such as a work of art) or real estate. One very popular gift vehicle, the charitable gift annuity, provides lifetime income payments to the donor in return for a gift of cash or marketable securities.

Generally, gifts fall into two categories: outright gifts and deferred gifts.

Outright Gifts
Outright gifts are available immediately for use by Special Olympics. The gift can be used or sold for cash. Examples of such gifts include cash, securities, real estate, tangible personal property and paid up life insurance policies.

Deferred Gifts
Deferred gifts are not available for use by Special Olympics immediately. Usually, they become available only after the death of the donor, or for certain trusts, after a period of years. Examples of such gifts include bequests, life income arrangements (gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, etc.) and life insurance. Deferred gift vehicles provide donors the opportunity to help ensure the future of our movement.

The Olympus Society
Individuals who make planned gifts to Special Olympics are charter members of the Olympus Society, a group developed to recognize those individuals with the vision to realize that the plans and gifts they make today preserve the dreams of tomorrow.

To become a member of The Olympus Society, you have to provide for Special Olympics in your estate or financial plans. Anyone who provides for any Special Olympics entity in his or her plans, regardless of size of the gift, becomes a member of The Olympus Society. As those who know our movement are aware, every person is deserving of being called a hero, and so we include all planned gift donors in The Olympus Society.

As a member, among the benefits you will receive are: a unique Olympus Society pin, a certificate proclaiming your membership in this special group, invitations to specific Special Olympics events, access to our planned giving staff to discuss charitable estate planning and periodic estate planning updates.

For More Information or Assistance
If you would like more information about gift planning options, please contact Pat McKeon at 414-526-6044 or email at pmckeon@specialolympicswisconsin.org, or drop us a letter at the Special Olympics Wisconsin Program office, 5900 Monona Dr., Suite 301, Madison, WI 53716.

**** Note****
Some of this material was provided on behalf of Special Olympics by Pentera, Inc., which is solely responsible for that content. None of this material is intended to constitute legal or tax advice. For advice and assistance in specific cases, the services of an attorney or other professional advisor should be obtained.