Gift of Securities:

Thank you for considering a gift of securities to The American Media Institute. Gifts of securities often bestow significant tax benefits on a donor. For example, contributions of appreciated securities held for over a year are generally deductible at market value, regardless of what was paid for them, and the capital gains tax is avoided.

If you wish to make a gift of securities, please contact John Shoreman with complete donor information (name, address, phone number), the name and type of securities to be gifted (public, private, restricted, mutual fund, etc.), the number of shares, and the date you intend to make the gift.

John Shoreman

General Counsel

[email protected]

703-872-7840

Bequest by Will

A legacy of giving

Including a charitable bequest in your will is a simple way to make a lasting gift to AMI. You can leave a bequest to AMI by adding to an existing will or drafting a new one. Make a gift of a stated dollar amount, specific property, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after distributions to other beneficiaries. In doing so you leave a legacy to AMI, yet preserve and enjoy assets you might need during your lifetime. Plus, the assets distributed to AMI are exempt from estate tax. For more information about how your charitable bequest can benefit AMI, please contact John Shoreman. We also recommend that you consult with your tax advisor or planning professional.

Life Insurance

A simple way to give a significant gift

Giving through life insurance is one of the simplest ways to make a significant contribution to AMI and establish your legacy of giving. There are two approaches: You can designate AMI as the primary or secondary beneficiary of either 100% or some percentage of the proceeds from the policy. Or you can transfer to AMI ownership of the policy – either paid in full or for which you continue making premium payments. The transfer of the policy is a present gift for which a charitable tax deduction may be taken, and your continued payment of premiums is each considered charitable contributions, deductible to the full extent of the law.

For more information about how the gift of a life insurance policy can benefit AMI, please contact John Shoreman. We also recommend that you consult with your tax advisor or planning professional.

Gifts of Real Estate

An unmatched opportunity to make an impact

You can turn the value of real estate into community good and receive financial and tax benefits with a gift to AMI of real estate. A rental house, vacation home or unimproved land can be gifted to AMI for sale. You avoid capital gains tax and the proceeds from the sale of the property will be used to support AMI’s important. A gift of only the ‘remainder interest’ in your personal residence to AMI while you and your family continue to live in and fully enjoy your home as long as you like can also produce a charitable deduction. This is a retained life estate and works just as well with a farm or vacation home as with your principal residence. For more information about how your gift of real estate can benefit AMI, please contact John Shoreman. We also recommend that you consult with your tax advisor or planning professional.

Gifts of Publicly-Traded Stock or Closely-Held Business Interests

Let your portfolio or your business profit the community

Shares of appreciated publicly traded stock are an effective way to support AMI and avoid taxation on the gain. We can receive stock gifts directly through your brokerage account; you receive a charitable income tax deduction, usually equivalent to fair market value as determined under IRS guidelines. We will sell the stock immediately and apply the net proceeds toward our mission.

AMI will also consider gifts of closely-held business interests such as corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships if an acceptable means of converting the stock into liquid assets can be an anticipated within a reasonable time. This may occur through redemption agreements, liquidation or asset transfers. These are complex transactions, so consultation with your tax advisor or planning professional is necessary. Please contact John Shoreman at AMI for more information.

Gifts from Retirement Plans

The perfect gift asset

Retirement plan assets (those in qualified plans and IRAs) are ideal for charitable giving purposes because these assets are often heavily taxed when passed to non-spouse beneficiaries. To make a future gift of retirement plan assets simply requires a designation of AMI as the beneficiary of the plan. Making a present gift of retirement account assets during your lifetime has been permitted under recent law for certain tax years; check with your tax advisor before making a gift of retirement plan assets. Please contact John Shoreman at AMI for information on the opportunity to make a planned gift with retirement assets.

Charitable Remainder Trust

Planning for the future - for you and your community

Giving through a Charitable Remainder Trust allows you to receive income for the rest of your life or a specified term of years, knowing that whatever remains will benefit AMI. You transfer assets into a trust and receive an immediate charitable deduction. The trust distributes regular income payments to you or to designated family members. You may choose to receive a fixed payment or one that changes with the value of the trust assets; payments can begin immediately, or you can defer them to increase your charitable income tax deduction. The amount of the payments and the amount of the charitable tax deduction depends on the age of the recipient and the applicable federal rate for determining the present value of an interest for a term of years. Upon the beneficiary’s death or after a defined period of years, the remaining assets in the trust will transfer to AMI. For more information about how a Charitable Remainder Trust can benefit AMI, please contact John Shoreman. Consultation with your tax advisor or planning professional will be required.

Charitable Lead Trust

Giving to Organization and your loved ones

A Charitable Lead Trust permits you to remove assets from your estate and benefit

Organization during the trust’s term. Assets selected by you are transferred into a trust, which pays AMI an annual amount to accomplish its mission. During its term, the trust can be managed by experienced professionals, which may help your trust investments grow over time. When the trust terminates, either upon your death or after a specified number of years, its final assets are transferred to the family members you designate. Any growth in the trust passes to recipients, often with significant transfer-tax savings. Charitable lead trusts may also be created by will as part of your testamentary planning. Charitable Lead Trusts offer financial benefits by sheltering investment earnings from income tax, too. However, at the time your trust is established, you may owe gift tax on the present value of your gift to the final beneficiary. Charitable Lead Trusts can be arranged to make annual distributions of a fixed percentage of the trust assets or distributions of a fixed dollar amount. For more information about how a Charitable Lead Trust can benefit AMI, please contact John Shoreman. Consultation with your tax advisor or planning professional will be required.