Barbara G. Golden
Director of Planned Giving
1733 Sixteenth St., Washington, DC 20009–3103
Tel. 202-777-3163; Fax 202-387-1843; Or call 866-448-3773
bgolden@srmason-sj.org

This article explores more interesting ways to give gifts
to support our Scottish Rite charities.

One of the easiest ways to give to the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc., is through an outright gift of cash, stock, or property. We have donors who have deeded their homes to our Foundation, subject to a life estate, and we have donors who have deeded their property to us to be sold so that the proceeds can fund our charitable work, like the RiteCare Childhood Language Program. Still others have sent in a check for our Pooled Income Fund or Charitable Gift Annuity Program, or have funded a charitable remainder trust for scholarships.

In this economy, however, many people are reluctant to give an outright gift: they worry about having sufficient financial resources in the future to provide for their families or for their own care. So, what can they do to give a gift now that won't affect their current lifestyle or leave them with insufficient assets for their retirement years? Very simply, these donors can give a gift to our Foundations in their will, often called a "bequest." Through a codicil to an existing will (i.e., an amendment) or through a new will, a donor can name a Scottish Rite Foundation as the beneficiary of a percentage of his or her estate or of a specific amount of money or property. An attorney can help you draft the will or codicil. Since state laws regarding how to make a will or codicil differ, you need to talk to an attorney in your state to make sure your will or codicil will be valid in that state.

The Supreme Council, 33°, wanted to find a way to honor currently those individuals who provide for local or national Scottish Rite Foun-dations in their wills. To that end, the Supreme Council, 33°, announced that it will recognize according to the criteria of its Scottish Rite Donor Recognition Program (see Scottish Rite Journal, August 2003) any person who signs a pledge agreement for the benefit of a local or national Scottish Rite Foundation to be satisfied by a bequest in the donor's will. For example, if you, as a donor, sign a codicil to your will leaving $10,000 to the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc., and you sign a pledge agreement to be satisfied through that bequest, we will recognize you as a Patron under the Donor Recognition Program. As a Patron, your name will be inscribed in the Gold Book of Recognition kept at the House of the Temple. Also, your name will be on a brass nameplate in the Hall of Recognition at the House of the Temple. Plus, you will receive a beautiful crystal vase because your gift is to the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc. All we need is the signed pledge and a copy of the applicable pages of your will or codicil showing the bequest. A pledge form is available by clicking here.

Another gift that you can give now without impacting your current financial position is to designate a local or national Scottish Rite Foundation as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or a 401(k) plan or IRA. As these gifts take place only after one's death, they do not reduce one's current financial resources. Yet, one has the satisfaction of giving a gift to support worthwhile causes, such as the RiteCare Childhood Language Program.

You also can donate a life insurance policy to your local or national Scottish Rite Foundation. If you have a whole life policy, for example, you can assign the policy to a Scottish Rite Foundation and get a charitable deduction for the assignment. The Foundation becomes the owner and beneficiary of the policy, and it is removed from your estate. If you continue to pay the premiums of the policy, you get a charitable deduction for the amount of the premium payments. Yet, you do not have to change your current lifestyle to accomplish your goal. You leave a wonderful legacy to the Scottish Rite Foundation, and you do not adversely impact your financial resources. What an intriguing way to give! A gift of life insurance is also recognized through the Scottish Rite Donor Recognition Program.

If you would like to make a pledge, to obtain an analysis of a Charitable Gift Annuity or to obtain more information on any of our planned giving ideas, please call Earl Ihle at 1-866-RITECARE (1-866-748-3227) or Barbara Golden at 1-866-GIVESRF (1-866-448-3773). We will be happy to assist you.

To learn more about the Scottish Rite Pooled Income Fund, click here. For a chart illustrating Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., USA, Charitable Gift Annuity Rates–Single Life, please click here. Note: The rates shown here are subject to change and not available in all states.

Scottish Rite Foundations, Southern Jurisdiction Pledge Form

At this time, we are unable to accept these pledges over the Internet.
Please print out and mail in the form below. Thank you.

Scottish Rite Foundations, Southern Jurisdiction Pledge Agreement

If you do not have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™, you can download it for free by clicking here.

Barbara Golden is the Director of Planned Giving for the Development Office of the Supreme Council. 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 fundraising, grant writing, and program operations.

Ill. Thomas M. Boles, 33°, G.C. (left in photo) has worked extensively in fund-raising for children's programs throughout our Fraternity. For more information on planned giving, call Bro. Tom at 562–691–4227 (Fax 562–691–5327) or the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., at 202–232–3579, ext. 143. Ill. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, is our development team's Director of Major Gifts. He has been a member of the Fraternity for 25 years and served in 1978 as Master of Lafayette Lodge, No. 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. You can reach Bro. Ihle toll free at 1–800–486–3331, ext. 143.