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At 75, Roger Nuhn of Glasford is a relative newlywed. When he and Bonnie married five years ago, he joined a close-knit family that all rallied around him when he started treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the winter of 2014. Presented with the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial, Roger decided, “What have I got to lose?” The answer: Nothing. He’s not only responding well to treatment—which he’s not sure he could have afforded on his own—but he’s also recovered the energy to do the things he loves. “I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without this treatment. Now, I feel like doing stuff again.” Continue Reading

Roger Nuhn

When you consider all the things you’d like to pass on to your children, cancer certainly doesn’t make the list. But given her family’s history, Ann Best knew it was a possibility. After much deliberation, Ann underwent genetic testing and many family members followed. Knowing the important role the Foundation plays in helping promote and advance testing locally; Ann remains a vocal advocate, serving as a volunteer, donor and board member. “For my kids, I want to see really good research continue right here. The Foundation helps keep Illinois CancerCare on the cutting edge of treatments and therapies.” Continue Reading

Ann Best

Estate Planning

Wills
Beneficiary Designations

Beneficiary Designations Are Easy and Flexible

Not everyone wants to commit to making a gift in their will or estate. Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using:

  • IRAs and retirement plans
  • Life insurance policies
  • Commercial annuities

It only takes three, simple steps to make this type of gift. Here’s how to name Illinois CancerCare Foundation as a beneficiary:

  1. Contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form.
  2. Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like us to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.
  3. Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution.
Real Estate

Discover All of Your Options

Want to make a big gift to Illinois CancerCare Foundation without touching your bank account? Consider giving us real estate. Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land. Such a generous gift helps us continue our work for years to come. And a gift of real estate also helps you. When you give us appreciated property you have held longer than one year, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction. This eliminates capital gains tax. And you no longer have to deal with that property’s maintenance costs, property taxes or insurance.

Another benefit: You don’t have to hassle with selling the real estate. You can deed the property directly to Illinois CancerCare Foundation or ask your attorney to add a few sentences in your will or trust agreement.

Ways to Give Real Estate

You can give real estate to Illinois CancerCare Foundation in the following ways:

  • An outright gift – When you make a gift today of real estate you have owned longer than one year, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction equal to the property’s full fair market value. This deduction lets you reduce the cost of making the gift and frees cash that otherwise would have been used to pay taxes. By donating the property to us, you also eliminate capital gains tax on its appreciation.
  • A gift in your will or living trust – A gift of real estate through your will or living trust allows you the flexibility to change your mind and the potential to support our work with a larger gift than you could during your lifetime. In as little as one sentence or two, you can ensure that your support for Illinois CancerCare Foundation continues after your lifetime.
  • A retained life estate – Perhaps you like the tax advantages a gift of real estate to our organization would offer, but you want to continue living in your personal residence for your lifetime. You can transfer your personal residence or farm to Illinois CancerCare Foundation but keep the right to occupy (or rent out) the home for the rest of your life. You continue to pay real estate taxes, maintenance fees and insurance on the property. Even though Illinois CancerCare Foundation would not actually take possession of the residence until after your lifetime, since your gift cannot be revoked, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction for a portion of your home’s value.
  • A deferred charitable gift annuity – Are you tired of the hassles of maintaining your property such as paying taxes, utilities and repair bills? Consider donating the property to Illinois CancerCare Foundation in exchange for reliable payments for life for you (and someone else, if you choose). When you arrange a charitable gift annuity, you receive a federal income tax charitable deduction in the year you set up the gift annuity when you itemize on your taxes. If you use appreciated real estate to make a gift, you can usually eliminate capital gains tax on a portion of the gift and spread the rest of the gain over your life expectancy. A gift of unmortgaged property to fund a deferred gift annuity is preferable and generates the greatest tax benefit.
  • A bargain sale – Want to sell us your property for less than the fair market value? A “bargain sale” may be the answer. When you make a bargain sale, you sell your property to our organization for less than what it’s worth. The difference between the actual value and the sale price is considered a gift to us. A bargain sale can be an effective way to dispose of property that has increased in value, and it is the only gift vehicle that can give you a lump sum of cash and a charitable deduction (when you itemize) at the same time.
  • A charitable remainder unitrust – You can contribute any type of appreciated real estate you’ve owned for more than one year, provided it’s unmortgaged, in exchange for an income stream for life or a term of up to 20 years. The donated property may be a residence (a personal residence must be vacant upon contribution), undeveloped land, a farm or commercial property. Real estate works well with only certain variations of charitable remainder trusts. Your estate planning attorney, who will draft your trust, can give you more details.
  • A charitable lead trust – This gift can be a wonderful way for you to benefit Illinois CancerCare Foundation and simultaneously transfer appreciated real estate to your family tax-free. You should consider funding the charitable lead trust with real estate that is income-producing and expected to increase in value over the term of the trust.
  • A donor advised fund – When you transfer real estate to your donor advised fund, you avoid capital gains taxes and qualify for a federal income tax deduction based on the fair market value of the property when you itemize on your taxes.
Trusts
Wills and Living Trusts

Your Gift Brings You Closer

You want to leave money to Illinois CancerCare Foundation in your will. You also want the flexibility to change your will in the event that life circumstances change. You can do both. In as little as one sentence, you can complete your gift. This type of donation to Illinois CancerCare Foundation in your will or living trust, helps ensure that we continue our mission for years to come.

Charitable Remainder Trusts

The Advantages of a Charitable Remainder Trust

If you have built a sizeable estate and also are looking for ways to receive reliable payments, consider a charitable remainder trust. A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

These types of gifts may offer you tax benefits and the option for income. There are two ways to receive payments and each has its own benefits:

The annuity trust pays you, each year, the same dollar amount you choose at the start. Your payments stay the same, regardless of fluctuations in trust investments.

The unitrust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. The amount of your payments is redetermined annually. If the value of the trust increases, so do your payments. If the value decreases, however, so will your payments.

Charitable Lead Trusts

Protect Your Assets
Charitable Lead Trusts Offer You Options

You can benefit from the tax savings that result from supporting Illinois CancerCare Foundation without giving up the assets that you’d like your family to receive someday with a donation in the form of a charitable lead trust.

There are two ways that charitable lead trusts make payments to the Illinois CancerCare Foundation:

  • A charitable lead annuity trust pays a fixed amount each year to the Illinois CancerCare Foundation and is more attractive when interest rates are low.
  • A charitable lead unitrust pays a variable amount each year based on the value of the assets in the trust. With a unitrust, if the trust’s assets go up in value, for example, the payments to the Illinois CancerCare Foundation go up as well.

In your work as a professional advisor, you value professionalism, integrity and honesty, taking the utmost care when serving your clients. As a nonprofit organization, we share your values and take the same care when it comes to helping our donors plan charitable gifts to Illinois CancerCare Foundation. Please use these tools as you help your clients with their charitable plans, and feel free to contact us for more information or assistance.

Donor Advised Funds

Support the Important Causes in Your Life
Harness the Giving Power of a Private Foundation

A donor advised fund, which is like a charitable savings account, gives you the flexibility to recommend how much and how often money is granted to Illinois CancerCare Foundation and other charities. You transfer cash or other assets to a tax-exempt sponsoring organization such as a public foundation. You can then recommend-but not direct-how much and how often money is granted. In addition, you avoid the cost and complexities of managing a private foundation.

In return, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction at the time you contribute to the account. This also allows for a centralized giving and record-keeping system in one location.