Planned Giving
Leave a lasting legacy
Throughout our nation’s history, major philanthropists have used planned giving tools like trusts, wills, and annuities to ensure that their personal legacies support the civic needs of future generations. Only in recent years, however, have those same philanthropic tools become available for donors at all income levels and financial capacities to support their own favorite charities.
In addition to making a simple bequest, today's planned giving initiatives can include establishing a living trust; setting a schedule of planned donations; making one-time gifts of real estate, stock, or IRAs; or using a variety of other vehicles to ensure that a donor’s personal financial needs and philanthropic priorities are both met.
The National Building Museum is a national treasure and a historic landmark dedicated to people who have a passion for the building arts. From professionals in the building industry to students and casual enthusiasts, the Museum's mission is to engage and inform the public about how the built environment shapes who we are and how we live. The Museum, a private, non-profit organization, welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors from the United States and abroad each year. And, therefore, relies heavily on private support in order to fund its diverse programming and exhibitions.
A vital component of that support comes from The Cornerstone Society. This group includes friends of the Museum who leave a lasting legacy through a bequest, charitable gift annuity, trust arrangement, or other estate-plan provision. Gifts from the society build the Museum’s endowment and ensure the relevance and security of its collection, as well as the vitality and quality of exhibitions and education programs. By becoming a member of The Cornerstone Society, you can help inspire the future stewards of the built environment and provide an enduring source of financial stability for generations to come.
Options for Giving
Depending on the assets you donate and gift arrangement you choose, there are a number of advantages to joining The Cornerstone Society. Members can gain benefits such as reducing income tax, avoiding capital-gain tax, retaining a stream of income for life, securing additional tax benefits, and, most importantly, fulfilling one's philanthropic goals.
A Bequest is a gift that a donor chooses to make as part of their estate planning process through their will or another binding arrangement. By including the Museum in your will, you can help support this unique institution and enrich the lives of future generations.
A Charitable Gift Annuity is an agreement in which the Museum agrees to pay you a fixed income for the remainder of your life once you make a donation to the Museum, thus allowing you to protect your financial security while making a timely contribution. If you are married, your spouse can also be guaranteed the same fixed income for his or her life.
A Charitable Lead Trust provides income to the Museum for a period of years, after which the trust property reverts to you or, more typically, is passed to your heirs. It is often used to transfer assets including stocks, bonds and income-producing real estate that are expected to appreciate in value. Even if the assets increase in value during the time they are held by the trust, the heirs or recipients of the trust are only taxed on the original value of the assets when it reverts to them.
A Charitable Remainder Trust is an agreement between you and the Museum in which your assets are irrevocably transferred to a trustee (other than the Museum) and managed as an individual investment fund. You or the beneficiaries of your estate can receive payments from that fund for a term of up to 20 years. At the end of the life of the trust, the remainder is transferred to the National Building Museum.
Gifts of Real Estate can be an effective tool to ensure that your home, rental units, or other property will support the Museum while providing you with excellent tax benefits.
If any of these planning opportunities are of interest to you and you would like to discuss membership in The Cornerstone Society further, please contact Christina Berkemeyer, Director of Individual Giving, at 202.272.2448, ext. 3501, or via email at cberkemeyer@nbm.org.
