Make a Gift through Your Will or Trust, Retirement Funds, Gift Annuities, Insurance Policy, Real Estate, or Personal Property

Your bequest will be used to preserve, protect and bequeath to future generations the church’s ministries of education, social outreach, global mission, and pastoral care.

 Designating the church in your will, or as one of the beneficiaries of a retirement plan or through any other estate planning vehicle, will greatly assist the church in it’s missions. And as an added bonus, there can be significant tax and income benefits for you and your heirs. All you have to do is let us know in writing that you have done so.

  Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I include  Presbyterian Church of Easton in my will or living trust?
A. The most common way people remember Presbyterian Church of Easton  in a will or living trust is through a charitable bequest. You do not have to rewrite your current documents. You simply add an amendment, called a codicil, to your will or living trust. Here is some suggested language you can have your attorney review: “I give devise and bequeath to Presbyterian Church of Easton located in Easton, Maryland the sum of ____________ dollars ($ _________). (Or state a percentage of your estate, or describe real or personal property, including exact location.) For the benefit of its general purposes (or specify the Presbyterian Church of Easton program you wish to support).”Your bequest is entirely under your control during life and becomes irrevocable only at death.

Q. What’s the big advantage in making Presbyterian Church of Easton a beneficiary of my retirement plan?
A. A designation in your IRA or other retirement plan may be a very cost-effective way of making a gift to Presbyterian Church of Easton. If you leave your retirement plan to your children, they will have to pay income tax on either a lump sum distribution or the income stream from the plan.  Presbyterian Church of Easton does not pay this tax. Here’s an example of what this can mean to your heirs: A widower died a few years ago. He left his $300,000 house to charity and his $300,000 retirement plan to his relatives. He should have done just the opposite.

The relatives had to pay income tax on the $300,000 in the retirement plan, an $80,000 cost to them. If they had received the home, and the charity had received the retirement plan payment, no one would have paid income tax.

Q. Can I use my life insurance policy to make a planned gift to Presbyterian Church of Easton?
A. Yes. Using an existing life insurance policy is a quick and convenient way to make a planned gift commitment to Presbyterian Church of Easton. Ask your insurance company for a beneficiary designation form, name “Presbyterian Church of Easton” located in Easton, Maryland” as a beneficiary of a percentage of the ultimate value of the policy or for a fixed amount, and send the beneficiary designation form to the company that holds your policy. Some life insurance company Web sites make this exceedingly easy.

Q. What kind of donors should consider a charitable remainder trust?
A. Donors who want income for life, bypass of capital gains tax on stock or real estate, reduced taxes, and the satisfaction of providing for Presbyterian Church of Easton. Anything you place in a charitable trust–cash, stock, real estate–is invested by the trustee to pay you income for the rest of your life and, if you wish, pay your heirs for life or for a term of years. After the death of all income beneficiaries, what remains in the trust passes to Presbyterian Church of Easton. Your trust may provide you with some important tax benefits:

• An immediate income tax deduction for a percentage of your gift.
• No tax on the sale of appreciated property.
• The trust principal passes to Presbyterian Church of Easton free of estate tax.

Q. What should I do if I have already remembered Presbyterian Church of Easton in my estate plan?
A. Please contact the church office so your wishes are properly recorded in our records.