Page 20 - Samaritas Our Hands Winter 2024

CREATE A LEGACY

Simple Ways to Make a Lasting Impact This Year

This time of year, we think about being thankful and spending time with loved ones. It makes you consider the
legacy you and your family will create. Over the years, Samaritas has proudly helped celebrate and advance the
meaningful legacies of thoughtful and generous neighbors like you, legacies of hope and faith that ensure
Samaritas’ work will continue for future generations. Today, we invite you to explore simple ways to create and
advance your legacy through a planned gift and non-cash donations.

Building a Brighter Future

Creating a legacy is easier than you might think. By including Samaritas in your estate
plans, you can make a significant, long-lasting impact. Here are a few ways:

Bequests: By naming Samaritas in your will or living trust, you can gift a specific
amount or a percentage of your estate.
Beneficiary Designations: Consider naming Samaritas as a beneficiary of your
retirement accounts or life insurance policies.
Charitable Trusts or Gift Annuities: These options allow you to support Samaritas
while receiving income or tax benefits for you or your loved ones.

These thoughtful tools help establish your legacy of compassion in action allowing Samaritas to serve even
more children, individuals, and families in need. If you have already included Samaritas in your will or estate
plans, please let us know so we may welcome you into our Heritage Society and share our thanks.

Non-Cash Ways to Make an Impact Today

Making a donation often comes in the form of writing a check or giving online. There are
also cashless ways to contribute including:
Donor-Advised Funds (DAF): If you have a DAF, consider recommending a grant to
Samaritas. This flexible giving option makes it easy to support your favorite programs
as well as the Good Samaritan Fund.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD): If you’re 70½ or older, you can make a gift
directly from your IRA, which may satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD)
while avoiding taxes on the withdrawal.
Appreciated Securities: By donating stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, you can avoid
capital gains taxes and receive a charitable deduction while making a big difference
in our community.

Are you aware of the fantastic benefits and rules of QCDs?

The donation part of your RMD is totally tax free. As an example, if you were to donate $1,000 as a QCD from your RMD,
the entire amount of your donation would be non-taxable. If you take the RMD and then donate the $1,000, you would
not be able to deduct any of it if you do not itemize in 2024. In addition, the QCD lowers the taxable amount of your Social
Security. Should you choose to donate via a QCD, you should contact the Custodian of your IRA as the donation must be
sent directly from the Custodian to Samaritas as the payee. Make your impact today by contacting Jessica Sweeney at
(313) 308-8892 or Jessica.Sweeney@Samaritas.org

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