Support WMHT and Your Heirs with a Charitable Lead Trust

Listeners and viewers who are concerned about their heirs receiving a large inheritance at too young an age sometimes find the charitable lead trust to be a useful estate planning strategy. It has the effect of making certain assets accomplish two objectives. First, the assets provide important funding for programming at WMHT. Then, they are passed along to heirs at a time when these family members are able to use the assets to best advantage. In the process, it is possible to save a considerable amount of money that would otherwise be needed to pay gift or estate taxes. A charitable lead trust offers unique estate planning advantages and is good for individuals who face substantial estate and gift tax liability.

You can establish a Charitable Lead Trust during your lifetime to immediately provide funding for WMHT programming or as a testamentary trust through your will to begin funding WMHT programming at your death. Either type of lead trust offers you a good way to carry out your philanthropic plans over the coming years and save on taxes. Plus, you keep ultimate control of the trust assets within the family.

The lead trust is an exceptional way to transfer property to your children or other heirs at minimal tax cost because a charitable gift/estate tax deduction is allowed for the value of the payments received by WMHT.

Two Types of Charitable Lead Trusts (CLT)
The charitable lead trust has a couple of different versions. This allows you to structure the arrangement in a way that meets your specific objectives. You decide how much is paid to WMHT, and for how long these payments are made. You also select the individuals who will be receiving the assets in the future, and when they will get them. If you are not sure about the ultimate destination of the trust assets at the time you create the lead trust, you can designate someone to make the decision for you when the time comes.

In a Non-Grantor CLT, the trust assets revert to your children, grandchildren or other heirs at the end of the trust term. A non-grantor CLT provides a gift tax charitable deduction and is useful in reducing the cost of intergenerational wealth transfers.

In a Grantor CLT, the trust assets revert to you, rather than to your heirs, at the end of the trust term. Donors creating grantor CLTs receive a large charitable contribution income tax deduction. Such a gift structure may be particularly useful if you wish to make a multi-year pledge and accelerate future deductions into the current year.

Donate Stock or Securities
Wills and Bequests
Charitable Gift Annuities
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Life Insurance
Retirement Plans
Real Estate
Pooled Income Fund
Memorial and Tribute Gifts
Creative Gifts

Jim Stavrakakis  on his legacy to public broadcasting: