A Bequest for Braille Institute
Together We Can Create A Heritage of Hope
From Braille Institute's very beginning, bequests have been essential
to our financial well being. In fact, they are the most significant
means by which Braille Institute receives financial support. And since
1919, hundreds of friends, volunteers, students, and clients have chosen
to make bequests to Braille Institute as a meaningful way of being
permanently identified with the significant work of the Institute. Each
year, bequests help to ensure that thousands of blind and visually
impaired people of all ages will have a brighter future.
Perhaps
you have thought about making a large charitable gift to Braille
Institute, but didn't think you could afford it right now. Well,
virtually everyone has the power to give a gift larger than he or she
ever dreamed possible after his or her lifetime—by making a gift called a
bequest.
A bequest may be made through a will or trust. Or, it
can simply be made by listing Braille Institute as a beneficiary of a
bank account, IRA account, life insurance policy, company retirement
plan, pension, annuity or other instrument which allows you to designate
funds to a beneficiary.
Legal Designation:
Leaving a bequest through your will or trust is easy—simply include the following language:
I
give (X dollars or X percent or all of the residue of my estate) to
Braille Institute of America, Inc., a California Nonprofit Corporation
with principal offices located at 741 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles,
CA 90029-3594.
Tax Identification Number: 95-1641426
Date of Incorporation: September 20, 1961
At
Braille Institute, all unrestricted charitable gifts are used to
support our organization's greatest program, service and capital needs
as determined by our Board of Directors. If you have a more specific
purpose in mind, please contact us to ensure that we can meet your
wishes.
If you would like to learn more about how to remember Braille Institute in your will or trust, or to request our free brochure, A Bequest for Braille Institute, please contact our Office of Development and Planned Giving.
The J. Robert Atkinson Heritage Society
Occasionally,
those who make bequests to Braille Institute are unknown to us. We do
not learn of their generosity until after they have passed on, leaving
us unable to express our gratitude in person. In an effort to ensure
that Braille Institute will have the opportunity to say "thank you" to
our benefactors, the J. Robert Atkinson Heritage Society was
established.
Named after Braille Institute's founder, The J.
Robert Atkinson Heritage Society is our way of honoring those
individuals who have provided for Braille Institute's future through a
will, trust, charitable gift annuity, bank account, IRA account, life
insurance policy, company retirement plan, pension, commercial annuity
or other instrument which allows you to designate funds to a
beneficiary. If you have included Braille Institute in your estate plan,
we encourage you to register as a J. Robert Atkinson Heritage Society member.
As
a member, you will be recognized in the Braille Institute J. Robert
Atkinson Heritage Society honor roll, receive a beautiful framed
certificate of membership, our Heritage estate and financial planning newsletter and invitations to special Braille Institute events.
Please allow us to thank you in this special way for playing such an essential role in Braille Institute's future.
For more information or to request our free brochure, The J. Robert Atkinson Heritage Society, please contact our Office of Development & Planned Giving. Click here for an audio version of this brochure. We also invite you to view our list of Heritage Society members as listed in Light, our annual report.
The
term "planned giving" refers to charitable gifts that require some
planning before they are made. Bequests are just one way of making a
planned gift. Planned gifts are popular because they can provide
valuable tax benefits and/or income for life. Please visit our special Braille Institute Planned Giving Web site to learn about the many other types of planned gifts that benefit both you and Braille Institute.
Office of Development & Planned Giving
Braille Institute of America, Inc.
741 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90029
Phone: 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), Ext. 1256
FAX: (323) 663-1428
E-mail: plangift@brailleinstitute.org
Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (PST), Monday through Friday
Related links:
What to Give
– Planning a gift carefully can be as important to you as the gift is
to us. This section summarizes the many ways available for you to make a
gift to Braille Institute.
Gifts of Real Estate – If you own property, perhaps now is the time to consider the many advantages of a gift of real estate to Braille Institute.
Charitable Gift Annuities– A Charitable Gift Annuity will pay you lifetime income in return for a donation to Braille Institute.