Leave a Legacy of Service and Hope

A bequest is a gift made through your will or living trust. It can be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, a particular asset, or the remainder of your estate after other gifts and expenses have been distributed.

A bequest to Paws and Stripes can help provide care, training, and support for future generations of rescue dogs and the Veterans whose lives they touch. It also helps keep all of our mental health services and peer support programs free to Veterans, military service members, and their loved ones.

Many donors choose a bequest because it allows them to make a meaningful future gift without affecting their current cash flow. You can also generally update your plans if your circumstances change.

A bequest may be as simple as including Paws and Stripes in your estate plans or adding the organization as a beneficiary of your trust. But be sure to contact you r attorney, estate planner, or accountant for more guidance.

Give Through an Account You Already Have

You may be able to name Paws and Stripes as a beneficiary of:

• A retirement plan or IRA

• A life insurance policy

• A bank account

• A brokerage or investment account

• An annuity

A beneficiary designation allows you to retain use of the asset during your lifetime while directing some or all of its remaining value to Paws and Stripes after your lifetime.

You can typically change your beneficiary designation as your circumstances change. Contact your plan administrator, financial institution, or insurance provider to request the appropriate form.

Turn an Investment Into Lasting Impact

A gift of appreciated stock, mutual funds, or other securities can help support Paws and Stripes while potentially offering tax advantages.

When you donate appreciated securities directly to a qualified charitable organization, you may be able to avoid capital-gains tax on the appreciation while receiving a charitable deduction for the gift, subject to applicable rules and limitations.

Your gift may help support the training, care, and long-term well-being of the dogs and Veterans at the heart of our mission.

Before making a gift of securities, please contact Paws and Stripes for transfer instructions and consult your tax or financial advisor.

For those over the age of 70.5, you may be eligible to make a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD, directly from your IRA to Paws and Stripes.

A QCD may allow you to support the mission with funds from your retirement account while potentially excluding the distribution from your taxable income. If you are required to take minimum distributions, a QCD may also count toward that requirement.

Eligibility and tax treatment depend on your individual circumstances and current tax law. Please consult your IRA administrator and tax advisor before making a QCD.

If you have a donor-advised fund, (DAF) you can recommend a grant to Paws and Stripes through your sponsoring organization.

A donor-advised fund grant can help provide immediate support for our programs or contribute to the long-term strength and sustainability of the organization.

You may also be able to name Paws and Stripes as a beneficiary of your donor-advised fund, allowing your charitable intentions to continue beyond your lifetime.

Create a Future Gift Through Your Business

Business owners may be able to support Paws and Stripes through a gift of business interests or a gift connected to a future business transfer or sale.

Depending on the structure of the gift, it may be possible to support the mission while addressing personal, business, estate, or tax-planning goals.

These gifts can be complex. We welcome a confidential conversation with you and your advisors to explore whether a gift of business interests may be appropriate for your circumstances.