Planned Giving

Your charitable donations not only benefit SMILE, but can also benefit you. Since SMILE is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, all donations are tax-deductible. As such, you can use modes of planned giving to donate to SMILE in the long run while reaping the tax benefits today.

How Does it Work?

A charitable lead trust allows our donors to hold a specific amount in trust for a specific amount of time for the benefit of SMILE. The trust pays the income to SMILE and at the end of the term of the trust, the principal is returned to the donor or the donor’s heirs.

A charitable remainder trust also allows our donors to hold a specific amount in trust for a specific amount of time for the benefit of SMILE. The remainder trust differs from a lead trust as the income goes to the donor or the donor’s heirs, while the principal goes to SMILE.

In both scenarios, the donor can benefit from the tax deduction in the year that the trust is created, even though the donation may not happen until several years later.

Example

You want to save for retirement but also want to support SMILE’s mission. You can contribute $10,000 annually to SMILE’s pooled income fund through a charitable remainder trust. Every year, you can collect a tax deduction for your donation. After 20 years of giving, you will have accumulated $200,000 in the fund. At this point (usually the age of retirement), SMILE’s pooled income fund will pay you the income from this amount until your death. Upon your death the principal will vest in SMILE.