What is everyones view on this? Planned Giving to SGI.
" What Is Planned Giving?
Planned Giving is the making of a gift to SGI-USA by including SGI-USA as a beneficiary in a provision of your will, estate document, or transfer during life. The gift may be money, real estate, shares of stock, life insurance proceeds, proceeds from pension funds, IRAs or 401(k) plans or other property which can be readily sold. The gifts can take effect either during life or after death.
As the name implies, Planned Giving requires making a plan and thinking clearly about how you want to distribute your assets. Outlined below are several ways you can insure that your desires are carried out. SGI-USA has a national staff of professionals who are available for consultation on a confidential basis.
A "beneficiary" is a person or organization that receives property through a Will, trust, life insurance policy or other estate document. A "donor" is the person giving the property to the beneficiary. A donor may have one or many beneficiaries. Beneficiaries can be organizations or persons and can be given unequal amounts of property."
"What Is the Most Common Way to Make a Planned Gift to SGI-USA?
The "bequest in a will" is the most common and easiest way to make a gift to SGI-USA. A bequest is property specified in a will naming a beneficiary (recipient) of the specified property. A "will" is a signed legal document that states the details of the will maker's decisions as to the distribution of his or her property upon death. A will must be written, signed and witnessed according to the law of your State. A will can be changed at any time before death.
Examples of bequests: Long Tom Member has practiced Nichiren Buddhism for twenty years. Although he was broke at the beginning of his practice, he has since accumulated a comfortable amount of assets and job security. Long Tom attributes his change in fortune to changing his attitude towards work and his relationships with others. Following President Ikeda's guidance, he became "indispensable" at his work place. He "created harmonious relations with his colleagues and superiors, using wisdom and discretion along the way." As a result of his practice, he was promoted four times and became the third ranking executive at his company.
With his children grown and he and his wife comfortably set, Long Tom amended his will (a codicil) by making a bequest to SGI-USA, using the services his family lawyer. His bequest reads:
I give, devise and bequeath to the Soka Gakkai International-USA of 606 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, California 90401, a not-for-profit-corporation of California and an exempt religious organization under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code the amount of $xx,xxx (xx,xxx dollars). I further direct that interest or other income that may be earned by said bequest shall also be paid to the Soka Gakkai-USA from the date of my decease until distributed.
Jane Nan Member, Long Tom's wife, is not a Nichiren Buddhist but appreciates his practice because he has gone from an angry man who changed jobs on a regular basis, to a valued, respected executive and loving husband and father. John also was a great help to Jane's father during his final illness. Jane decides to leave (devise) a piece of land she got as a child to SGI-USA. Jane's bequest reads the same as John's except that instead of "$xx,xxx (xx,xxx dollars)" the legal description of the land is used:
"lot 4, block 2 in the Cinder Block subdivision, commonly know as 888 Tarantula Place, assessor's parcel number 7711, all within the City of Nukedville, NV 89111."
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