The Luminary Society was created to recognize those who have made a financial commitment to The Country School's future by including the school in their estate plans. Membership is open to anyone who expresses his or her commitment in the form of a future gift, either through a bequest, gift annuity, life insurance, or other special deferred gift plan.
Charitable planned giving benefits the donor since many of these plans offer substantial financial and tax saving incentives, often complementing an individual's overall estate plan. It also enables the donor to make a meaningful gift which will have a lasting impact on the future of the school and its students. Through prudent investment of the proceeds, these gifts play a vital role in maintaining The Country School's financial strength and in insuring the quality of education and experience for future generations of Country School students.
We encourage you to seek advice from a tax professional about including The Country School in your estate planning. Our staff welcomes the opportunity to meet with you and your financial advisor to discuss planned gift opportunities. Discussions are confidential and are held without obligation.
There are several ways you can support an institution such as The Country School. The following are among the most popular choices for making a charitable planned gift:
BEQUESTS
You may make a gift to The Country School by designating the school as a beneficiary in your will. A bequest can be made for a specific amount or as a percentage of the total estate. Bequests can be unrestricted or used to establish named gift funds (e.g. scholarship fund) or memorial funds.
GIFT ANNUITIES
Under a gift annuity agreement, you make a gift to The Country School in return for the school's promise to make an annual payment to you of a specified dollar amount for as long as you live. The amount of the annual payment depends upon your age and is based on a fixed percentage of the initial fair market value of your gift. A portion of your gift is tax-deductible.
CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST
A charitable remainder trust may be designed to provide you with income throughout your lifetime as well as support to The Country School upon your death. The trust may be established with a gift of cash or appreciated stock. A trust can be structured in one of two ways - either as an annuity trust or unitrust. The important difference between the two options involves the way distributions are handled.
CHARITABLE LEAD TRUSTS
With a charitable lead trust you essentially "lend" a charity your assets for a set period of time. At the end of the gift period, the property you placed in the trust either returns to you, or is passed on to named individuals.