One of the easiest ways to make a planned gift is through a bequest in your will or trust specifying a gift to the SCCA Foundation, which can be for a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or a certain piece of property.*

Members often ask if they can make a donation to the Foundation to benefit a specific Region or for a specific purpose.

If the goal is to make a gift that qualifies for charitable purposes, the gift could be made to the SCCA Foundation. However, our legal guidance says that, to make a contribution to the Foundation, the use of the funds must be: (i) consistent with the mission and purpose of SCCA (and thereby within the Foundation’s exempt purpose), and  (ii) must qualify as a charitable purpose.  

For example: Gifting the Foundation $50,000 with the restriction that “the money could only be used to buy a pace car for use by the Kansas City Region for their road racing program” would not be a gift that the Foundation could accept, because the road racing program is not a charitable activity. But, gifting the Foundation $50,000 with the restriction that the money could only be used to support the Street Survival teen driving program for schools held in Kansas City or by the Kansas City Region, would be okay.

Additionally, if the donor wanted to make the provision more general, they could provide that the bequest be used for charitable activities of the Kansas City Region. 

You may make a significant planned gift with minimal legal paperwork by making the SCCA Foundation the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or a retirement account—IRA, 401(k), 403(b)—often by completing a one-page form available from your account provider. Retirement plans are among the most highly taxed assets one can hold. By naming the SCCA Foundation as the beneficiary of your retirement plan, the funds remaining upon your death are not taxed and your loved ones have no hidden income tax liability. Similarly, by naming the SCCA Foundation as the sole or partial beneficiary of your fully-paid life insurance policy, you may be able to avoid the estate tax on the proceeds.*

An IRA Charitable Rollover provides you with an excellent opportunity to make a gift during your lifetime from an asset that would be subject to multiple levels of taxation if it remained in your taxable estate. To qualify, you must be age 70½ or older at the time of gift and transfers must be made directly from a traditional IRA account by your IRA administrator to SCCA Foundation. Funds that are withdrawn by you and then contributed do not qualify. Gifts from 401(k), 403(b), SEP and other plans are not qualified charitable distributions. Your gift of up to $100,000, per spouse per year, counts toward your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year from your IRA*.

A charitable remainder trust allows you to make a gift to the SCCA Foundation while continuing to receive the interest and earnings on your investment during your lifetime and receiving a substantial charitable income tax deduction. You can choose either a fixed income or a set percentage of the value of the trust, which is set annually. A charitable remainder trust may allow you to avoid capital gains tax on your donated assets and you will receive a tax deduction for a portion of your gift. The trust will provide you income for life while contributing to the SCCA Foundation in the future; when the trust is terminated, the remainder will pass to the SCCA Foundation.*

This legal arrangement gives your home to the SCCA Foundation now, and allows you to continue living in it while providing you with substantial tax savings. You deed your home to the SCCA Foundation. The deed will include a provision that gives you the right to use your home for the rest of your life, while you continue to provide for the maintenance, insurance and taxes on the property.*

A charitable lead trust is the opposite of a charitable remainder trust. It gives the SCCA Foundation income for a set number of years but retains the principal for you or your estate. A charitable lead trust is especially helpful to you if you have a large estate and are concerned about federal gift and estate taxes. Removed from your estate, assets placed in a lead trust can be passed to loved ones exempt of these taxes.*