Leave a Legacy

Legacy Society

If you have already provided for the American Red Cross in your will, please let us know. The information will remain confidential if you desire, and the Red Cross will have the opportunity to acknowledge your thoughtfulness.

The Legacy Society of the American Red Cross recognizes your remembrance through your will, trust, charitable gift annuity or other planned gift. Membership in the Legacy Society makes you an active partner in the work of the American Red Cross. You will take a lead role in helping the Red Cross provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

"I wanted the funds to go ultimately to an American charity with a long and stable track record. We feel secure knowing that, after we’re gone, the Red Cross will be here and will responsibly manage our gift."
—Major Seymour and Claire Miller

Demonstrating a Lasting Compassion for the Next Generation

"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others is immortal."—Albert Pike

Visionaries Committed to Humanity
A legacy of compassion links the earliest Red Cross visionaries—Henry Dunant, father of the International Red Cross Movement, and Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross—with millions of Red Cross supporters who carry on the noble work of the nation’s largest volunteer humanitarian service organization.

That compassion enables Red Cross volunteers to bring urgently needed services to millions of people. The Red Cross has kept faith with Americans who need its services and those whose generosity makes those services possible.

Through sound fiscal management and the services of more than one million trained volunteers, the Red Cross derives maximum benefit from every gift.

The Red Cross—When Help Can’t Wait
The Red Cross emblem is a universal symbol for help in time of crisis. You see it wherever the victims of flood, fire, earthquake, or war need urgent assistance. In the daily work of protecting lives, you find the Red Cross conducting blood drives, teaching children to swim, and offering family assistance to members of the military. The Red Cross has been part of your community for generations—because each generation has looked to the future by supporting the Red Cross.

You can show your personal compassion—and set an example for others—by remembering the Red Cross in your will, trust, or other planned gift. No gift has more lasting impact than a bequest or other gift from your estate.

A planned gift also offers you many potential advantages, including federal estate tax savings, the elimination of capital gains taxes, and the opportunity to increase spendable income.

What is the Legacy Society?
The Red Cross honors every planned gift donor with membership in the Legacy Society. As a member, your gift can be recognized publicly, unless you prefer to give anonymously. The society also provides information and assistance to donors considering a planned gift to the Red Cross.

Can I Give a Memorial Gift?
Any gift to the Red Cross, including a planned gift, can be made as a memorial to another individual. Through your bequest or other estate gift, you perpetuate the cherished memory of a loved one by enabling the Red Cross to help others.

How Can I Make a Planned Gift?
Gifts by will may be made directly to a named chapter, as follows:

"I give, devise, and bequeath to The American National Red Cross for the benefit of the ____________Chapter, the sum of _________(or otherwise describe the gift; often a percentage of the estate is designated)."

A donor may elect to make a gift to the national sector of the American Red Cross, as follows:

"I give, devise, and bequeath to The American National Red Cross the sum of ____________dollars (or otherwise describe the gift)."

In the absence of donor direction to the contrary, a planned gift to the national sector will be placed in the Endowment Fund for permanent investment, with only the income being used to help finance Red Cross services.

What Are Other Planned Gift Options?
You may wish to consider other planned gift opportunities, such as the following:

• A Charitable Gift Annuity—The Red Cross Second Century Pooled income Fund and a charitable remainder trust offer life income to the donor while providing support for the Red Cross. See our brochures for other planned gifts or call your chapter.
• Gifts of Real Estate—When a donor makes an outright, irrevocable gift of real property to the American Red Cross, he or she may be eligible for a charitable income tax deduction equal to the full, fair market value of the property. A donor who gives this type of gift may not only save capital gains, but also get a large charitable deduction.
• Creative Gifts Through Retirement Plans—A donor who has accumulated funds in a company pension plan or IRA beyond his or her needs for a comfortable retirement may make a gift to the Red Cross from such an account. This gift, made by will, can lower estate taxes through the charitable deduction it provides.

What is the Next Step?
Let us know your intentions in writing. If you have already arranged for a bequest or other planned gift, we would like to honor your support. If you are still considering such a gift, let us know so we can help you and your advisors complete your gift in a way that benefits your estate and makes clear your intention to help the Red Cross. You can mail a confidential Legacy Society information card or call this chapter for assistance.

When you join the Legacy Society, you demonstrate your commitment to the humanitarian mission of the Red Cross and help ensure the longevity of the organization.

Honoring Your Support for the Red Cross
The Legacy Society recognizes your remembrance of the Red Cross in your estate plan. All types of planned gifts will be acknowledged toward membership in the society.

Your participation in the Legacy Society makes you an active partner in the work of the American Red Cross. As a society member, you will learn exactly how your contribution helps those who need Red Cross services. Also, we would like to present you with a special token our appreciation that will formally recognize you as a valued supporter of the Red Cross and let you demonstrate that support to your community.

We are happy to answer any questions you may have about Legacy Society membership and to discuss your overall giving plans.

The information on this site is not intended as legal, tax or investment advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney, tax professional or investment professional.

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