 Planned Giving
AIER's tax-deductible planned giving programs offer donors a life income plan for up to three generations combined with a gift to AIER. Since 1969 donors' to AIER's programs have enjoyed the advantages of having their assets managed by AIER and the security of knowing that AIER will provide income for life to their designated individuals. Most organizations are not willing to commit themselves to a program that will not benefit them for 75 years or more; for us this is simply a part of our long-term commitment to helping individuals protect their financial future. AIER offers qualified donors many attractive benefits, including:
- Federal and state income tax deductions
- Annual income for life or a designated term
- Capital gain tax savings on gifts of appreciated assets
- Reduced probate costs and estate taxes
- Expert asset and investment management
- Generous support of AIER's work and mission
The simplest way for donors to make deferred gifts is by including AIER in their wills, through bequests, or by making AIER a beneficiary in their life insurance policies. We respectfully ask donors who make these types of commitments to inform us of their intentions, for our own financial planning and donor acknowledgment purposes.
Perhaps most attractive to those who have appreciated assets are the Institute's planned giving programs that provide substantial benefits to donors at the same time that they help to assure AIER's financial support in the decades to come. AIER currently offers three institutional planned giving programs:
AIER's Planned Giving Programs
A Reserved Life Income Fund (RLI) is a pooled income fund. When a donor makes an irrevocable gift of cash or securities gift to the RLI, it is invested together with the gifts of all other fund donors. Each quarter, the donor's proportional share of the fund's income is distributed to the beneficiaries the donor has named. The income distribution varies with the fund's investment performance. When the last income beneficiary dies, the principal attributable to the gift is removed from the RLI fund and given to AIER, to be used for its charitable purposes. Donors may add funds to their RLI at any time.
A Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRU) is an income fund where donations are not pooled with other donations. Donors stipulate a fixed percentage (not less than five percent) of the value of the fund to be distributed annually to the income beneficiaries. Income may continue for the lifetimes of the beneficiaries named, a fixed term of not more than 20 years, or a combination of the two. Payments are made out of trust income, or trust principal if income is not adequate. When the CRU term ends, the principal passes to AIER for its charitable programs. Donors may add funds to their CRU at any time.
A Charitable Gift Annuity is a contract (not a trust), under which AIER, in return for a transfer of cash, marketable securities or other assets, agrees to pay a fixed amount of money to one or two individuals, for their lifetime, not a term of years. Annuity payments are fixed and unchanged for the term of the contract. The contributed property, given irrevocably, becomes a part of the charity's assets, and the payments are a general obligation of the charity, meaning that the annuity is backed by the charity's entire assets, not just by the property contributed. The donor must be first annuitant, but can also name a second annuitant. CGA's may offer immediate or deferred payouts.
Our staff will be happy to run simulations on any of these programs to provide you with detailed information needed to assess each option. Please note, however, that it is most important that donors consult with their trusted legal and financial advisors before committing to such deferred gifts, to ensure that their intended contributions are consonant parts of a sound estate plan. As a nonprofit research organization, we can offer information and simulations that can help you make these decisions, but we may not provide specific financial advisement related to your assets and estate.
 Use our online Planned-Giving Calculator to see an illustration of the income and tax benefits to which you may be entitled if you make a planned gift to benefit AIER.
Provide a reliable source of income for up to three generations of your family an support our mission.
For further information about the AIER Planned Giving programs, please contact:
David Michaels, Chief Financial Officer
P.O. Box 1000
250 Division St
Great Barrington, MA 01230
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