Encore Society & Planned Giving

The Encore Society is a group of friends who have committed to make legacy gifts to South Shore Conservatory (SSC) to sustain its mission to provide access to arts education and performance for the South Shore community of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. By sharing their plans, donors help ensure the growth and sustainability of SSC.

Gifts in Your Will

A gift in your will is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an attorney, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to SSC as part of your estate plans.

Contact our Development Team to learn more

Bequests

Making a bequest won’t reduce your current income or the assets that you rely on today for your financial security. Bequests are made from your “capital assets” that remain after they have finished serving you during your lifetime. Learn More

Charitable Trusts

Your gift can be made to a trust created to provide you with annual income, and convey the principal of the trust to the Conservatory after your lifetime OR a trust to provide the Conservatory an annual income, and the principal is left to your heirs. Learn More

Gifts from Your IRA, 401-K, or other plan

In recent years, the IRS has permitted charitable gifts to be made from otherwise taxable IRA and other retirement plan distributions, provided the donor has reached age 70 ½, and that the distribution is made directly from the fund custodian to the charitable organization.
Learn More

Gifts of Real Estate

The Conservatory can accept gifts of real property that is no longer needed, allowing you to generate an income tax deduction and reduce or eliminate capital gains tax. Learn More

With a completed enrollment form, certified commitments for future gifts from donors over the age of 80 will be celebrated today, as part of the Comprehensive Campaign.

SSC recommends reviewing any planned giving with your attorney or financial advisor.

Contact our Development Team to learn more


Bequests

Bequests are…

Affordable

Making a bequest won’t reduce your current income or the assets that you rely on today for your financial security. Bequests are made from your “capital assets” that remain after they have finished serving you during your lifetime. Those capital assets might include:

  • Life insurance proceeds
  • Savings, stocks and bonds
  • An IRA or 401-K
  • The value in a home or other real estate
  • Interest in a family business

People who may feel limited in their ability to support the Conservatory during their lifetimes often find a bequest is an ideal way to make a more significant expression of their feelings for the Conservatory and the contribution it makes to the people of our community.

Easy to do

It can be as simple as including a statement like this in your will:

Alternatively, you may be more comfortable with a form of bequest that provides
“the lesser of $XXX or YY% of my residual estate.”

Enduring

A bequest gives you the satisfaction of leaving a personal legacy – knowing that your gift will be a lasting statement of your belief in the Conservatory, and will benefit many future generations to come.

Tax-wise

Charitable bequests to qualified organizations like the Conservatory are fully deductible from your taxable estate.

Revocable

Remember, you can revise your will at any time in the event of unexpected changes in your life circumstances.

And…You will be eligible for The Encore Society

The Encore Society was founded by a group of dedicated Conservatory friends to encourage our donors to assure that the work of the Conservatory will continue in perpetuity, by honoring the us in their wills and estate plans.

To learn more about becoming an Encore Society member, please call 781-934-2731 x23.

Contact our Development Team to learn more


Charitable Trusts

There is an array of charitable trust arrangements which can offer important income and estate tax advantages. Among these are:

A Charitable Remainder Trust combines annual income for you, and a bequest to the Conservatory

Your gift is made to a trust created to provide you with annual income, and convey the principal of the trust to the Conservatory after your lifetime. There is a tax benefit, available in the year of the gift, that depends upon your age. Additional tax benefits may be available if the trust is funded with appreciated property.

Charitable Lead Trusts provide current income to the Conservatory, but preserve the trust assets for your family

You can fund a trust created to provide the Conservatory an annual income for a period of years, and to pass the trust principal to your heirs. Significant estate and gift tax benefits are available.

Contact our Development Team to learn more


Gifts from your IRA, 401-K, or other retirement plan

Save taxes by making a current gift from your retirement account

In recent years, the IRS has permitted charitable gifts to be made from otherwise taxable IRA and other retirement plan distributions, provided the donor has reached age 70 ½, and that the distribution is made directly from the fund custodian to the charitable organization.

Please check with your tax advisor for current regulations.

Make a bequest to avoid double taxation on retirement plan assets in your estate

Any assets that remain after your lifetime in most retirement accounts like conventional IRAs and 401-K plans are currently subject to double taxation, first as ordinary income, and then as part of your taxable estate.

You can avoid this tax exposure – and obtain a further tax deduction – by naming the Conservatory in your will as a beneficiary of the remainder of your retirement plan assets. Making a bequest in this manner offers a number of additional advantages.

Enduring

A bequest gives you the satisfaction of leaving a personal legacy – knowing that your gift will be a lasting statement of your belief in the Conservatory, and will benefit many future generations to come.

Revocable

Remember, you can revise your will at any time in the event of unexpected changes in your life circumstances.

And…You will be eligible for The Encore Society

The Encore Society was founded by a group of dedicated Conservatory friends to encourage our donors to assure that the work of the Conservatory will continue in perpetuity, by honoring the us in their wills and estate plans.

Contact our Development Team to learn more

To learn more about becoming an Encore Society member, please call 781-934-2731 x23.


Gifts of Real Estate

The Conservatory can accept gifts of real property that is no longer needed, allowing you to generate an income tax deduction and reduce or eliminate capital gains tax. Alternatively,

You can make a gift of your residence, but have lifetime use of it.

You may transfer ownership of your personal residence to the Conservatory now, but retain what is called “a Life Estate”, entitling you to continue to live there for your lifetime. At the same time, you can also receive a significant tax benefit in the year of the gift.

To learn more, please call 781-934-2731 x23.

Contact our Development Team to learn more