Benefiting Your Local Foundation

Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°
Director of Development

Photo: ©Maxwell MacKenzie, Washington, D.C.

Several different programs make it easy for a member to benefit the philanthropic outreach of his local Scottish Rite Foundation.

There are a number of ways members can support their local Scottish Rite Foundations' charitable endeavors. One is for a donor to contribute to the Scottish Rite Foundation Southern Jurisdiction's Charitable Gift Annuity Program. In this program, the Foundation and a donor sign a contract that provides for the donor to transfer cash or securities to the Foundation in exchange for fixed quarterly payments for the rest of his or her lifetime. One additional income beneficiary may be added, if desired. Upon the death of the donor and any income beneficiary, the assets left from the initial contribution are paid to the remainder charitable beneficiary, which can be one or more local Scottish Rite Foundations.

For example, a donor can provide for 25% of the remainder to go to the Scottish Rite Foundation of Georgia; 25%, to the Scottish Rite Foundation of Iowa; and 50%, to the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J. For older donors, the Charitable Gift Annuity offers a fixed rate of return that may be higher than certificates of deposit or other investments. Moreover, if a donor uses appreciated securities, he or she may be able to avoid the tax on a portion of the capital gain in the security. A donor can also donate a low-yield stock and obtain a higher return from the Charitable Gift Annuity. The income stream to a donor and income beneficiary is based on the age of the persons receiving lifetime payments. And a part of this quarterly lifetime income stream is a tax-free return of principal. The minimum contribution to the Scottish Rite Foundation Gift Annuity Program is $5,000.

Yet another way for a donor to help a local Foundation is by making a pledge. Through the Scottish Rite Pledge Program, an individual may pledge to donate to a local Foundation a certain sum per year for a period of up to five years or may agree to satisfy the pledge through a specific bequest in his or her will. Anybody who makes a pledge is recognized according to the Donor Recognition Program for the full amount of that pledge at the time the commitment is made, rather than when it is fully paid. A donor pledging $10,000 or more will be recognized by having his or her name displayed on a bronze nameplate in the Hall of Recognition in the House of the Temple. In addition, his or her name will be inscribed in the Gold Book of Recognition.

An additional way for a donor to help his local Scottish Rite Foundation is through a bequest in his or her Will or Living Trust. If you decide to add a local Foundation or a national Foundation to your Will, be sure that you properly designate these beneficiaries in your Will or Trust. To prevent your gift from going to the wrong place, you should find out: (1) the exact legal name of the organization; (2) its current address; and (3) most importantly, its federal tax identification number. Many non-profits have similar names, but each has a unique federal tax identification number. Accuracy will eliminate the chance of your estate being distributed improperly.

Finally, another program that benefits local Foundations is the Pillars of Charity Portrait Gallery. Any donor of $1,000,000 or more that divides his or her gift between a local Scottish Rite Foundation and either the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., or the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., will be honored through an original oil portrait displayed in the Pillars of Charity Portrait Gallery at the House of the Temple as long as $500,000 or more of the gift is designated for either of the national Foundations. Moreover, the donor's name will be inscribed on a bronze plaque in the Pillars of Charity Alcove, and the donor will be invited to a lunch or dinner with the Grand Commander.

Estate planning requires time and effort, but it will produce peace of mind and many other benefits, financial and personal. We are always willing to help our members achieve their estate-planning goals.

To download a donation form, please click here. To visit the Mandatory Charitable Solicitation Disclosures page, click here. To download a form for a free analysis of a contribution to the Scottish Rite Foundation Charitable Gift Annuity Program, click here. If you do not have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™, you can download it for free by clicking here.
Please Note: This information is distributed with the understanding that the authors are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expertise is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. From: A Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers.

- Our Development Team -

Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, is the team's Director of Development. He has been a member of the Fraternity for 30 years and served in 1978 as Master of Lafayette Lodge, #111, Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a member of Boumi Shrine Temple in Baltimore, the York Rite, and a dual member of the Scottish Rite Valleys of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Contacts: Tel. 202-777-3143; Fax 202-884-0183; or call 1-866-RITECARE (748-3227) Toll Free; eihle@srmason-sj.org.

Barbara G. Golden, Esq., is the team's Director of Planned Giving. Barbara is an attorney with experience in tax, corporate, and commercial real estate law. She managed a non-profit legal services organization for several years and has extensive experience in fund-raising, grant writing, and program operations. Contacts: Tel. 202-777-3163; Fax 202-884-0183; or call 1-866-GIVESRF (448-3773) Toll Free; bgolden@srmason-sj.org.

Dr.Thomas M. Boles, GC, is the team's Advisor on Philanthropies. A member of the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Ana Valleys, he has worked extensively in fund-raising for children's programs throughout our Fraternity. Contacts: Tel. 562-691-4227; Fax 562-691-5327; or call 1-800-SRMASON (776-2766) Toll Free; tboles@srmason-sj.org.