A Winning Gift Strategy

Bill Leitch's family ties to Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary are 50+ years strong.

"First we were neighbors in Cape Cod Village, a cottage colony in Cummaquid, just to the east of Long Pasture's beach, and devotees of the gentle tides and expansive seashore for expeditions to observe horseshoe crabs. When we heard Mass Audubon was going to establish a sanctuary in Cummaquid, we quickly became fans of the entrepreneur and environmentalist extraordinaire, Ian Ives, who is Long Pasture's founding Sanctuary Manager."

To help ensure Long Pasture's continued success, Bill began strategically using his IRA to make larger gifts than would otherwise be possible by giving directly from his IRA to Mass Audubon. By making these qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), Bill avoids the ordinary income tax that would otherwise be due on the withdrawal. Anyone who is at least 70 1/2 can use QCDs to make charitable gifts, and once you reach RMD age, the distribution can count toward your required minimum distribution.

Another powerful option is to name Mass Audubon as a beneficiary of your IRA. As a tax-exempt organization, Mass Audubon can receive the full balance at once, avoiding both the heavy taxation IRA assets face when left to heirs and the 10-year withdrawal window the law now imposes on most individual beneficiaries.

Bill's generosity does not end there. He has also established a charitable gift annuity (CGA)*, which pays him an income for life, with the remainder ultimately supporting Mass Audubon.

Through his thoughtful use of these strategies, Bill has helped ensure that Long Pasture will remain a sanctuary treasured for generations, a place to get out in nature and watch the horseshoe crabs return, season after season.

Curious which strategy fits you? Betsy Townsend, our Director of Gift Planning, would love to talk with you, or you can explore several options here.