Plan to provide future generations with a rich heritage of music
(Gifts by Will, Living Trusts, Insurance and Retirement Accounts)

Enjoy an income for life
(Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts)

Provide immediate benefits for the Orchestra
(Charitable Lead Trusts, Gifts of Appreciated Property)


Gifts by Will
Remembering the Minnesota Orchestra in your will is one of the most desirable ways to provide for the Orchestra while retaining the use of your assets during your lifetime. You may designate a bequest for general operating support or earmark your gift for a specific purpose such as the endowment fund. Charitable gifts made through your will are fully deductible for estate tax purposes. Your gift may also result in lowering your estate tax bracket. Betty Bryan knows about the joy of planning gifts for organizations she cares about, which is why she has included a provision for the Minnesota Orchestra in her will.

An example of a bequest provision might be:

"I give and devise to the Minnesota Orchestral Association, a corporation of the State of Minnesota, (here state the amount, percentage, residue, or description of real or personal property as appropriate) for its general purposes or for its endowment."
(Please consult your attorney for professional assistance.)

Living Trusts
Much like a will, a revocable living trust may also include provisions for charitable contributions. These gifts are usually deductible in full for estate tax purposes. You may plan an unrestricted gift, which gives the Orchestra the greatest flexibility to further its mission of enriching lives with great music, or create a fund for a special purpose. Designated gifts are best planned in consultation with our development staff.


Gifts of Insurance
Designating the Orchestra a primary or partial beneficiary of a new or existing life insurance policy is an easy, economical way to plan a substantial contribution to support the music you love. Our planned giving staff is happy to provide information about tax benefits you may be eligible for with this kind of gift. If you have policies which are paid up and which you and your family no longer need, a convenient way to make a difference is simply by assigning ownership to the Association. Some friends designate the Association as a secondary or final beneficiary of policies in case other beneficiaries predecease them.

When naming our institution as a beneficiary in this instance, or as a full or partial beneficiary of an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) qualified plan, certificate of deposit, savings account, money market account or similar investment, please be sure to use our legal name: Minnesota Orchestral Association.


Charitable Gift Annuities
This life-income gift is a simple agreement between you and the Minnesota Orchestral Association. In exchange for your gift of cash, marketable securities, or real estate, the Minnesota Orchestra will issue fixed payments to you and/or a loved one for life. Gift annuity income is determined by your age. The older you are, the higher the rates you will receive. For many people it makes sense to obtain additional annuities as they grow older. Charitable gift annuities qualify for an immediate income tax deduction, and a portion of the yearly income is tax-free. You may also receive favorable capital gains tax treatment when making gifts of appreciated property.

Clifford Fortin, Ph.D, a retired university professor and Laureate Society member, likes the security these gifts provide. Click on his name to read his story.


Charitable Remainder Trusts
This popular charitable tool may help you increase your current income (particularly when funded with highly-appreciated but low-yielding assets), reduce taxes, diversify your investments, and take satisfaction in knowing your actions will benefit the Minnesota Orchestra. You transfer property (appreciated securities, real estate, cash, etc.) to a trust. Depending on the type of trust, you and/or your beneficiaries receive fixed or variable payments for life or for a term of years. The assets remaining in the trust at the end of the designated period become the property of the charitable interest(s) you designate.

Frank and Laurel Winsor have increased their income while reducing their taxes through a unitrust. Click on their names to find out more about why they chose to make a lasting gift to the Minnesota Orchestra in this way.


Charitable Lead Trust
For friends with substantial resources, this way of giving helps accomplish several goals. You can make a significant gift to an area of the Minnesota Orchestra's work that interests you while reducing taxes and providing a greater future economic security to your heirs. You transfer assets to a trust that pays a yearly income to the Orchestra for a specified number of years. At the termination of the trust, the principal assets are either returned to you or to your designated beneficiaries. This tool is especially attractive to those who have adequate financial security from other sources, strong charitable intent, and a desire to transfer assets to their heirs while reducing income, gift, and estate taxes.


Gifts of Appreciated Property
Gifts of personal or real property, real estate, and appreciated securities such as stocks, mutual funds, or bonds, benefit the Minnesota Orchestra while providing you with capital gains and income tax savings. In addition, donors who choose to donate their primary residence enjoy the tax benefits of their gift while living in their homes.