Donate to WGSD Foundation today

In as little as one sentence, you can complete your gift to the WGSD Foundation. By including WGSD Foundation in your will or living trust, you ensure we can continue creating brighter futures for our WGSD students for years to come.

You can give a specific amount of cash or security, a piece of property, or a percentage of your estate. Planned gifts of $25,000 or more can be restricted for a specific purpose, such as a named scholarship. If not restricted, all planned gifts will be for unrestricted use to benefit the foundation’s mission and programs.

Suggested language to discuss with your legal counsel while developing your will or trust:

• Unrestricted Bequest: “I give and bequeath to WGSD Foundation, Federal EIN # 43-1495249, (please insert dollar figure or estate percentage), for the use and benefit of the mission and general purposes of the WGSD Foundation.”
• Restricted Bequest: “I give and Bequeath to WGSD Foundation, Federal EIN# 43-1495249, (please insert dollar figure or estate percentage), to establish the (for example, the John Doe Named Award Science Scholarship) ”

What if you decide to change it? You can. Your will or trust can be altered. Even so, informing us of your gift allows us to work with you to use your gift as you intend and to thank you for your generosity.

You can promote our work and benefit future generations of Webster Groves School District by designating the WGSD Foundation as a beneficiary on your:

• IRAs and retirement plans
• Life insurance policies
• Donor advised funds
• Commercial annuities
• Bank and brokerage accounts

It only takes three simple steps to make this type of gift. Here’s how to name WGSD Foundation as a beneficiary:

• Contact the administrator of your retirement plan, insurance policy, bank or brokerage account or donor advised fund for a beneficiary designation form (or change-of-beneficiary form). You could also simply download a form from your provider’s website.
• Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like us to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.
• Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution.

What if you decide to change it? You can. Beneficiaries can be altered at any time. Review your policy periodically to ensure your beneficiary designations are up-to-date.

• IRA Distribution (59 ½ or older): You can take a distribution from your IRA and then make a gift to the WGSD Foundation without penalty. If you itemize your deductions, you can take a charitable deduction for the amount. Remember, your gift must be postmarked by December 31 in order to qualify this year.
• IRA Distribution (70 ½ or older): You can give any amount up to $100,000 from your IRA directly to WGSD Foundation. You will not pay income taxes on the transfer. If you are 72 or older, you can use this transfer to satisfy your required minimum distribution. Remember, your gift must be postmarked by December 31 in order to qualify this year.
  • Since the gift doesn’t count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax.

Tip: It’s critical to let us know of your gift because many retirement plan administrators assume no obligation to notify a charity of your designation. Additionally, informing us of your gift allows us to work with you to use your gift as you intend and to thank you for your generosity.

Contribute to a donor-advised fund and enjoy tax savings on that amount when you itemize.

When retirement plan assets pass to your heirs, distributions are taxed as ordinary income. This income tax burden can be substantial, greatly reducing the value of the intended gift. Instead, you can designate your donor advised fund as the beneficiary of all or a portion of your retirement plan assets. Your fund receives the full amount of the gift and bypasses any federal taxes. Remember, complete the contribution by December 31 to receive the tax benefits. You can designate the funds later.

You may enjoy two tax benefits with a gift of appreciated stock: Avoid paying taxes on the appreciated value and qualify for an income tax charitable deduction based on today’s market value, when you itemize. Remember, all transfers must be completed by December 31, including electronic transfer or hand-delivery of the securities.

Tip: Many custodians of brokerage accounts will have a cutoff in early December to donate appreciated securities, it is recommended you work with your financial advisor to initiate this process before December of a calendar year.

Don’t forget to take advantage of your employer’s matching gift program and multiply your donation!