Connecticut Public depends on the sustaining generosity of friends such as you. Bequest gifts are one of our most important sources of support and enable future planning; they provide a foundation for and fuel our continuing commitment to the many exciting programs you enjoy.

Connecticut Public’s Visionary Society recognizes donors who have made provisions in their estate plans for a gift to Connecticut Public. Visionary Society donors create a perpetual legacy for our organization, ensuring that public media will inform and enrich the lives of many generations to come. The future of public media will profit from their foresight and generosity.

Visionary gifts can be structured as bequests of funds or property provided through a will or living trust; planned gifts such as charitable gift annuities or charitable remainder trusts; or life insurance policies and qualified retirement plans that name Connecticut Public as a beneficiary.

Visionary Society members, like all donors to Connecticut Public, are free to designate the area(s) within our organization where their gift is to be used and applied. All planned gifts will be added to Connecticut Public’s Endowment Fund unless otherwise specified. We would encourage you to contact our office if you have a particular use in mind for your gift. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you and your attorney on specific language to ensure that your gift will be used as you intend.

For more information, please email visionary@ctpublic.org.

Bequest

A provision of one’s estate plan (will or living trust) that includes Connecticut Public as a beneficiary. Examples of this are:

• Specific bequest of money or property;
• Residual bequest of the remainder of the estate after specific bequests;
• Contingent bequest (gift occurs only if named beneficiaries die before the donor).

Planned Gift

An irrevocable gift that provides a donor (and/or others) with a life income or other benefits and specifies Connecticut Public as the charitable beneficiary.

Life Insurance

A donor may:

• Name Connecticut Public as the beneficiary (which is revocable) of a new policy
• Name Connecticut Public as owner and beneficiary of a new policy (which is irrevocable)
• Change the provisions of an existing policy, by naming Connecticut Public as the beneficiary of the policy or by transferring ownership of the policy to our organization.

Qualified Retirement Plan

A tax-deferred retirement plan [IRA, 401(k), 403(b) etc.] is a great way to provide for retirement years, and reflects wise planning. However, as much as 80% of its remaining principal value can be taken in taxes upon death when a natural heir or other person is named as beneficiary. Persons who select Connecticut Public as the beneficiary can avoid all those taxes, and can leave other, lower-taxed assets to family members. Your plan administrator can provide the beneficiary designation forms needed.

THE BENEFITS OF PREPARING AN ESTATE PLAN

By preparing an estate plan, you’re safeguarding more than just matters of finances and inheritance, you’re also guiding future health decisions, providing for loved ones, and creating your legacy. A few simple steps today will give you peace of mind tomorrow by ensuring you and your loved ones are well protected. Your estate plan can also be used to support charitable causes that matter most to you, such as the quality programs and educational services offered to our community by this station.

Planned Giving donations may offer many advantages for the donor including:

• Reducing real estate taxes
• Providing a life income stream
• Enabling a larger gift
• Receiving a current income tax deduction
• Reducing or avoiding capital gains tax

Please consult your tax advisor for specific advice on your estate planning.

Let’s Start A Conversation

If you are considering making a legacy gift, we encourage you to start by arranging a personal conversation, please email visionary@ctpublic.org. We will work with you to answer any questions and support your philanthropic goals.

If you have already included Connecticut Public in your estate plans, please let us know. Information is kept confidential and we respect any desire to remain anonymous.

Connecticut Public’s Federal Tax ID number is 06-0758938.