Planned Giving Even More Critical in 2021

After a devastating 2020 and a slow start to 2021, as people start getting back to a normal they haven’t experienced in more than a year, more than ever, nonprofits are acutely aware of the need for long-term financial stability. Planned gifts, also called legacy gifts, help provide that much-needed support. 

Giving through bequests equaled about 9% of all charitable donations or $43.2 billion in 2019, according to National Philanthropic Trust. In a world fraught with isolation, unrest, and uncertainty, a legacy gift can be one of the most significant and lasting contributions one can make to the community’s health and well-being.

August 2021 is National Planned Giving Month, and here at Interim Inc., we’d like to remind everyone that naming Interim in your will or trust means that your generous donations to support adults with mental illness will continue even after you are gone.

The idea that anyone can help ensure a better future — one in which human beings work together with mutual respect and a willingness to find solutions to community problems — is a powerful one.

With gifts large and small, previous donors have helped Interim to build 20 housing, treatment, and service facilities. We serve more than 2,000 adults with mental illness each year and offer a range of programs and supportive housing to improve the quality of life for those with psychiatric disabilities.

Maintaining these achievements for the future is the goal of Interim’s Legacy Society. Making a commitment to sustain Interim for the future is not difficult. Two simple gifts now can make a huge difference: Naming Interim in your will or trust and naming Interim as the owner and beneficiary of a life insurance policy can provide an easy, often tax-deductible, way to ensure that important programs continue.

There are many different types of planned gifts — stocks, real estate, annuities, retirement plans — all with different tax implications. Speaking with a financial planner is an important step before planning any legacy gift.

Interim can discuss these options with you.  When you decide which is best for you, we are available to talk to your attorney or tax advisor. If you do not currently have access to a qualified expert, Interim has a list of professionals you might choose. To explore this further, call Interim’s Executive Director or Development Officer at (831) 649-4522.

It’s often difficult to discuss these issues openly, yet outlining your final wishes can bring a sense of calm. It’s not a subject that’s easy to talk about, so we must all fight against procrastination.

And you might assume that planned giving only applies to the wealthy. Not so. Anyone can create these types of planned gifts, and every single one (no matter the amount) is considered an honored contribution to our cause.

In the past few months, Interim has gratefully received two legacy gifts from the estates of longtime supporters. One of these gifts allowed Interim to upgrade the community rooms in our housing with wi-fi and smart TVs to allow our residents to attend “virtual” groups and telemedicine appointments during the pandemic. Similar gifts will make it possible for Interim to expand services to adults with mental illness in Monterey County beyond our current capabilities. We appreciate our thoughtful supporters whose planned gifts make this possible.

When you talk to your financial advisor, ask him or her about including Interim in your will or estate plan.

Your support will help us to create housing, healing, and hope for adults with mental illness for the next generation.

For more information on Interim Inc., visit www.interiminc.org.