Charitable Trusts

• Charitable Remainder Trusts are a great way to increase your rate of return on highly-appreciated low-return assets without paying capital gains taxes. A donation of property is made to the Charitable Remainder Trust, and you are able to take an immediate tax deduction on the amount D.A. Blodgett for Children will receive at your death.

• A Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust pays out a set amount each year based on the value of the trust on the date of funding. Your income would not be effected by the value of the trust, whether it increases or decreases.

• A Charitable Remainder Unitrust pays out a percentage of the trust assets, valued on the first day of the trust year. A unitrust arrangement allows you to take advantage of the increases in the value of the assets in the trust, as well as taking the risk that the assets will depreciate.

• A Charitable Lead Trust is an arrangement whereby D.A. Blodgett for Children would receive income for a set number of years from the assets owned by the trust. At the end of those years, the property in the Charitable Lead Trust is distributed to whomever you indicated in the trust document.

Charitable Trusts are special legal entities with which a good estate-planning attorney can assist you.

Denise Spaulding, Director of Finance, or Linda Postma, Director of Development are happy to provide you or your financial/legal advisor with information relating to Estate Planning and Charitable Trusts. Please contact them at 616.451.2021.

D.A. Blodgett for Children recommends you contact your estate-planning professional to determine if this method of charitable giving is right for you. If you do not have your own estate planning professional we can connect you to a list of professionals in the area.