American Welding Society - Planned Giving

Q&A: How Can My Gift Last Forever?

If you would like to create a lasting legacy, an endowment may be the right gift for you. Here are some typical questions and answers about this type of gift.

Q. How can I create an endowment?
A. To create an endowment, you make a gift that we carefully invest. Then, each year a small portion of the endowment is used to support our mission. The rest of the fund remains invested to keep it healthy and growing far into the future.

Q. What's the best way to fund an endowment?
A. There are a number of different options. You can fund it today with gifts of cash or appreciated securities, or establish the endowment after your lifetime with gifts of retirement plan assets or life insurance benefits.

Q. Who decides how my endowment will be used?
A. You do. You may restrict your endowment to a particular cause or purpose, or you could provide unrestricted funds, which means our board can direct the annual portion to meet our most pressing needs.

Q. How can I be certain my wishes will be honored?
A. To ensure that your gift is always used according to your wishes, your charitable intentions are put in writing so there will never be confusion.

Contact Vicki Pinsky at 305-443-9353 or vpinsky@aws.org today to learn more about how you can leave a gift that lasts forever.

The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice, please consult an attorney. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. References to estate and income taxes apply to federal taxes only. State income/estate taxes or state law may impact your results.