to end hunger and homelessness.
Planned Giving
Planned Giving (also referred to as legacy giving) is making a future gift for lasting social benefit that reflects your values and supports the issues you care about in your lifetime.
Whether you’re taking the first important steps toward planning your estate or updating your estate plan, you can help Groundworks Collaborative ensure our future as we continue providing vital food, shelter, and supportive services to our neighbors in need.
Legacy Gifts
Making a legacy gift to benefit Groundworks is easy and anyone can do it:
- It costs you nothing during your lifetime;
- You can decide to do it at any age;
- Your gift could have tax advantages for you and your loved ones; and
- There are even gifts that spin off income for you during your lifetime.
One couple, donors since 2017, decided to make Groundworks Collaborative a beneficiary of the remainder of their retirement savings:
“From my mid-teens until about 30 years old, I was on my own and struggled financially. I always worked and always had a place to live. Not knowing what old(er) age will bring, we are reserving the retirement savings for the contingency of our long-term care. However, the beneficiaries of much of the residual will be non-profits.
Groundworks is on that list because, remembering my lean years, I was always grateful to have food and shelter—as should all people.”
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Is a legacy gift right for me?
You can choose to give:
- a stated dollar amount,
- a specific property or the assets from the sale of a property,
- a percentage of your estate,
- retirement savings,
- life insurance, and/or
- many other types of assets.
A charitable deduction is available to your estate for any funds left to Groundworks Collaborative.
Can I choose what my gift supports?
Because needs may change in the future, Groundworks Collaborative prefers that gifts be made without restriction. Legacy gifts can be made and invested in a reserve fund to support future innovations and the overall financial stability of Groundworks Collaborative.
However, if you wish to restrict a gift to a particular program, please contact our Director of Development to ensure proper wording and designation. We also encourage you to notify us, so we can thank, recognize, and properly steward your future gift.
Contact Us For Help
Our Director of Development can help you to explore opportunities that might work best for you.
While Groundworks does not provide tax, financial, or legal advice, we can coordinate with your financial advisor and/or attorney. You need not have all the answers before reaching out to us to explore possibilities.
Director of Development & Communications
PO Box 370, Brattleboro, VT 05302
802.302.8301
LBennett@GroundworksVT.org
How To Make A Bequest To Groundworks
Donors may designate Groundworks Collaborative as the recipient of a specific dollar amount, percentage amount, or as a percentage of the residual of their estate. Donors may include a similar provision in revocable or irrevocable trusts, or establish a separate trust by will, designating Groundworks Collaborative as the recipient of the estate residual. A charitable deduction is available to the estate for funds left to Groundworks Collaborative.
The following language may be incorporated in the donor’s will, written as a codicil to an existing will, or included in the donor’s revocable or irrevocable trust:
“I give, devise, and bequeath ________________ (describe dollar amount, percentage, property to be given, or proportion or your residuary estate) to Groundworks Collaborative, a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of Vermont with current headquarters located at 81 Royal Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 for its general charitable purposes.”
Groundworks prefers that all bequests be made without restriction to Groundworks Collaborative. However, if restricting the gift is so desired, donors are encouraged to contact the Director of Development & Communications to ensure proper wording and designation. Donors are encouraged to notify Groundworks Collaborative when considering a bequest, in order to ensure that the assets left to Groundworks Collaborative meet the criteria set forth in this policy, and so that Groundworks can thank, recognize and properly steward the gift.
We are a proud member of the Vermont Community Foundation’s Planned Giving Partnership.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Groundworks Collaborative can be designated as the recipient of bequests, retirement plan assets, life insurance policies, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and charitable lead trusts. Some of these gifts can produce income and many generate tax savings.
Groundworks is a member of the Vermont Community Foundation’s Planned Giving Partnership, which can help you to set up a Charitable Gift Annuity, Charitable Lead Trust, or Charitable Remainder Trust to leave a legacy to benefit Groundworks Collaborative.
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