Leaving a Legacy of Leadership
You can leave a legacy for the Church and ensure that our Church is here for the Next Generation and beyond through bequests, gifts of life insurance, charitable leader trusts, and other investments.
St. Therese, the “Little Flower,” left behind a spiritual legacy for the Church. Her writings did not become well known until after her passing, but have since, impacted and influenced generations of Catholics worldwide by deepening their relationship with Christ.
Legacy donors become a part of our St. Therese of Lisieux Giving Society and are remembered in a special Mass for all of our legacy donors on the Feast of St. Therese on October 1.
Follow the Footsteps of St. Therese
The St. Therese Society was established to honor all those who have taken the special step of including the Catholic Leadership Institute in their long-term plans through life income, bequest and other estate and planned gifts. This legacy gift ensures ongoing leadership formation and support for our bishops, priests and lay leaders that strengthen their confidence and competence in ministry.
How to Make Your Legacy Gifts
Leaving a legacy gift to Catholic Leadership Institute benefits you and your loved ones through tax benefits and also helps to support parishes, bishops, pastors, and Church leaders around the world. When you leave a legacy gift, you will know that your generosity is helping to ensure a bright future of faith for generations to come.
After completing your estate planning, we invite you to send us a copy of the relevant section of your will or trust documents that outline your bequest to Catholic Leadership Institute. This helps us with our planning and also enables us to keep you up to date on our work and impact. Any information you share with Catholic Leadership Institute is kept with strict confidence.
By becoming a member of the Catholic Leadership Institute bequest family, you are making a commitment to helping Church leaders fulfill our Lord’s promise that He will always be with us.
Ways to Leave Your Legacy
Bequests
Bequests are one of the most common (and most simple) ways to leave a legacy gift. Here are ways you can leave a bequest to Catholic Leadership Institute:
· Specific Bequest - Designate the amount of money or specific asset (property, securities, etc.) you wish to donate.
· Percentage Bequest - Designate the percentage of your estate you want distributed to Catholic Leadership Institute
· Residuary Bequest - Instruct that any remaining part of your estate be distributed to Catholic Leadership Institute after distributions are made to family, friends, etc.
· Contingent Bequest - Instruct that Catholic Leadership Institute receive assets in the event that a beneficiary in your will is no longer living.
Sample bequest language:
I give and bequeath the sum of $ _____ (or __% of my estate) to Catholic Leadership Institute to be used in support of its general philanthropic purposes.
If you would like to make a charitable bequest, our Federal Tax Exempt Number is 23-2661414.
Gifts of Life Insurance
Another simple way to leave a legacy of leadership and faith is to name Catholic Leadership Institute as a beneficiary of any individual or group life insurance policy. You will get an estate tax deduction for insurance proceeds that go to Catholic Leadership Institute upon your death.
Charitable Lead Trusts
With a charitable lead trust, you transfer cash or appreciated property to a trust, which makes payments to Catholic Leadership Institute for a period of time after which the assets of the trust are transferred to your beneficiaries. These trusts are particularly useful for managing capital gains and gift taxes for assets that have appreciated in value.
Retirement Plans and Other Investments
An IRA, 401(K), 403(b) or another qualified retirement plan has tax benefits for accumulating assets, but at death they may be subject to income and estate taxes. Without planning, over 60% of the value of your tax-deferred accounts may go to taxes. Gifting these accounts makes use of the full value of the assets. To leave your IRA or other retirement plan to Catholic Leadership Institute (either as primary or contingent beneficiary), contact your retirement plan company to request a change in beneficiary designation form.
Questions? Connect with Our Philanthropy Team
For more information, please email [email protected] or call 610-363-1315 ext. 286. Please let us know if you have included Catholic Leadership Institute in your will, life insurance, or estate plans so that we may thank you for your generous commitment to Catholic Leadership Institute and our mission of providing world-class leadership training and consulting for pastors, parishes, and people around the world.
The information on our planned giving page is for informational purposes only. As with any decision involving your financial or estate plans, we strongly advise you to seek the advice of your financial advisor for your estate planning.
