The March of Dimes provides many gift opportunities for those who wish to express their caring and commitment by contributing to the progress now being made in promoting the health of babies. Below are some come of the most common topics and questions associated planned giving.

There is a gift plan that will return income to me for the rest of my life.
There are several gift plans that will return income to you for the rest of your life. Two popular ones are Charitable Gift Annuities (available in most states) and Charitable Remainder Trusts (available in all states).

The Charitable Gift Annuity is a very straightforward plan that requires little paperwork to set up. You, the donor, make a gift to the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes promises you, in a contract, that it will give you, or someone you designate, an income for the rest of your life. Income is based on your age and the size of your gift. The minimum gift to the March of Dimes for this plan is $5,000.00. It also provides an income tax charitable deduction.

A Charitable Remainder Trust is a legal instrument set up by your attorney in which you set aside a gift to the March of Dimes (of $100,000.00 and up makes sense because of the cost of the attorney). You or another beneficiary will receive income from the trust for a term of years or your lifetime. The trust provides diversification of your investments, professional management, possibly increased income for you or family members, a current income tax charitable deduction and help for the March of Dimes.

I do not need a will because I am not a wealthy person.
There are many reasons why each person in the United States needs a will. You may have people dependent on you for whom a guardian is needed. You may have property that you wish to give to a certain individual. You may have charitable wishes that you want to have carried out.

There is no way to get an income tax deduction for a planned gift while I’m alive.
Planned gifts, in general, other than those created in Wills, establish income tax charitable deductions in the year that the gift is established. If a deduction is larger than can be used in the first year, the remaining deduction may be carried forward for up to an additional five years.

Old life insurance policies I no longer need make good gifts to the March  of Dimes.
You may have purchased life insurance to cover a debt that has been paid, or for some other obligation no longer in existence. Life insurance policies are an asset that may be given to a charity. The donor receives an income tax charitable deduction approximately equal to the policy's cash value. Or if a new policy is purchased, the premiums paid are deductible if the charity is owner and beneficiary.

If I leave my retirement funds to my children, they don't have to pay any income tax on the money when they receive it because it is a gift.
Retirement funds are heavily taxed when given to others because no tax has been paid on them up to that point. Therefore, they are subject to income tax possibly in addition to estate taxes. Make a charity such as the March of Dimes your beneficiary and receive a deduction from your estate taxes.

I cannot use my stock when designing my planned gifts.
The use of stock in making gifts can be very helpful. The full-appreciated value is transferred to the March of Dimes and income back is based on that full value. Capital gains tax is often not due at the time of the gift.