The
simplest—yet high impact—way to leave a legacy gift is to name the Bicycle
Alliance as a beneficiary in your will.
Inspired by
John Streich’s generous bequest to the Bicycle Alliance in 2011, several
current and veteran Board members met recently to lay plans for a Legacy
Society. "This will give our most
dedicated members an effective way to plan for significant future support,”
said founding Board member Amy Carlson.
Providing for
the Bicycle Alliance of Washington in your estate plans can be as simple as
adding a codicil to your existing will. You can make a specific or
percentage bequest, a residuary bequest, or a contingent bequest. “Planned
giving” arrangements also include charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift
annuities, and various other gift vehicles. Planned gifts ideally require
advance consultation with your financial planner and/or attorney.
“We’ve had the
Life Member designation for a long time,” said former Board President Cynthia
Putnam. “It’s been extremely helpful for our dedicated members to support us at
a high level and also to self-identify as a group. The Legacy Society gives
folks an opportunity to take their support to the next level.”
The Board of
Directors has put in place three new policies to safeguard both the donor’s
intent and the organization’s welfare. A board-designated endowment policy
ensures that gifts made by bequest will meet priority needs of the Bicycle
Alliance. An investment policy ensures that funds are invested prudently, with
ongoing oversight. And a gift acceptance policy provides a process and
framework for the Bicycle Alliance to determine whether and how to accept specific types of
gifts.
If you have
already made provisions for the Bicycle Alliance in your will or another type
of planned gift, please let us know. We would like to thank you and welcome you
to the Legacy Society. The Bicycle Alliance is planning an annual special event
for Legacy Club members, along with a listing in our annual report and other
publications. And a few additional “surprises” are in store for Legacy Club
members.
If you are interested in learning more about gifts by
bequest or other planned giving vehicles, please contact Jack Hilovsky at jackh@bicyclealliance.org.
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