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Planned Giving Options

Retirement Assets

Welcome News for Donors Age 70½

The IRA Charitable Rollover legislation has been renewed through December 2009.  If you are 70½ or older, you may make outright gifts using IRA funds and incur no tax. When you transfer funds up to $100,000 directly from your IRA to GLAZA or other charities of your choice, you will not pay income tax on the amount of the withdrawal. For those who qualify, this is an ideal way to handle year-end giving. Contact your IRA custodian to transfer your desired gift amount to the charitable organization of your choice.

 

Bequests

Ensure the future of the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens without affecting your cash flow during your lifetime.

A Benefactor’s Legacy

In 2006, GLAZA received the largest bequest in its 40 year history, a $4.1 million gift from the estate of long-time Zoo supporter Jeannette L. Vachon. Jeanette was an ardent fan of the Zoo’s animals and had been a generous donor for more than 20 years.

Tom Mankiewicz, Chair of the GLAZA Board of Trustees, commended Ms. Vachon for her foresight and desire to support the Zoo with a gift to the permanent endowment. “It seems that every week we are bombarded with new information on the precarious state of the world’s wildlife. Gifts like the Vachon bequest can help to ensure the highest standard of care for our animals here at the Zoo, and extend our work to help endangered animals in the wild. We are profoundly grateful for Jeanette’s desire to support the Zoo in perpetuity.”

A bequest is the most frequently utilized planned gift received by GLAZA. The Trustees of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association recommend that for estate planning purposes, members and friends consider the following language for use in their wills:

“I give to the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, a California non-profit corporation, whose present address is 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, California 90027-1498, the sum of $_____, to be used as a permanently restricted endowment. Distributions from this endowment will follow GLAZA policy and can be used as approved by the GLAZA Board of Trustees. Distributions may be used to benefit the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens as well as the Zoo’s conservation programs both on site and at other organizations or off-site locations as approved by the Zoo Director and ratified by the GLAZA Board of Trustees.”


Life Insurance

Multiply the effect of your giving without reducing your capital assets.

By naming the Greater Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens as owner and beneficiary of your life insurance policy and making annual fully tax-deductible contributions to GLAZA to cover the premiums, you create a major impact on the financial strength of the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens while preserving your capital assets.


Real Estate

Reduce your taxable estate and take a tax deduction.

By transfering ownership of highly appreciated property to GLAZA, you can avoid capital gains taxes, deduct the fair market value, and remove the asset from your taxable estate.


Charitable Trusts

Protect your heirs and the diversity of wildlife at LA Zoo for generations to come.

Charitable Lead Trusts, Remainder Trusts, Unitrusts, retained life estates are sophisticated estate vehicles that can reduce taxes, preserve assets for your heirs and provide income.  When considering a trust to benefit GLAZA, please consult with a tax professional or financial planner.

 

For further information on how you can become a Selig Legacy Society member, please contact Suzanne Torgeson at storgeson@lazoo.org or at 323/644-4782.