Preserve Your Values, Leave a Legacy
Make sure independent journalism thrives in our community for generations to come by including KUOW in your estate plans.
Contact Sarah Freeman, Planned Giving Officer // 206.616.8967 // sfreeman@kuow.org
Your Bequest Expresses You
A charitable bequest is one of the most meaningful legacies you can provide for your favorite organization and can be an effective way to make a significant contribution that might not otherwise be possible.
Some donors designate specific gifts to family members and residual amounts to charities. In other situations, the reverse is more appropriate.
Typically donors make bequests to KUOW by:
- specifying a percentage of their estate
- naming a specific dollar amount
- giving the residue of your estate to KUOW
Here is an example of wording which you may wish to share with your attorney:
I leave to KUOW [the residue and remainder of my estate or a specific dollar amount or percentage] whose legal name is KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio and whose IRS Tax ID number is 91–2079402. I wish to allocate my gift for the following purposes:
- a general category of programming
- the KUOW program endowment
- wherever the need is greatest at the time
If you wish to allocate your gift to a program category, please discuss this with a staff person at KUOW so that we can be sure to carry out your wishes appropriately.
The same tax ID number and wording applies to beneficiary designations of IRA’s and life insurance policies.
Notifying the station in advance is one of the best ways to assure that your intentions will be carried out according to your wishes. While estate planning is for the most part a private matter KUOW likes to be able to thank legacy donors for their thoughtful consideration of the future of public media in the Northwest.
The above information is for example purposes only. It is KUOW’s understanding that prior to drafting a will, donors will discuss their unique situations with an attorney with estate planning background so that the plan design is suitable to their needs and the meets standards in accordance with Washington law.
Estate Planning Toolkit
If you are creating or updating your estate plan and don’t know where to begin—we can help! Contact us at legacy@kuow.org or call 206.616.8967 and we’d be happy to send you a free and helpful estate planning toolkit.
The toolkit includes:
- A practical step-by-step booklet on creating a will
- Resources for finding an estate planning attorney and executor
- Beneficiary designation language
- The “Guide to Effective Giving After Tax Reform”
We are also happy to help to answer any other questions over the phone or in person related to charitable giving. Please contact our Planned Giving Officer Sarah Freeman at 206.616.8967 or sfreeman@kuow.org
KUOW Sound Legacy Circle
All individuals who include KUOW in their estate plans are invited to join our Sound Legacy Circle. This includes those who gift assets to KUOW in their wills, designate KUOW as the beneficiary of retirement plans, life insurance plans, Charitable Gift Annuities or Charitable Remainder/Lead Trusts.
Benefits include:
- Invitations to KUOW and NPR events throughout the year
- Optional membership in the University of Washington Henry Suzzallo Society
- Annual Sound Legacy Circle exclusive events
- Quarterly print newsletter “The Listening Post”
- Opportunities to receive free tickets to community events
IRA Charitable Gifts
You can support KUOW by including the station as a beneficiary of your retirement plan or by making charitable gifts directly from your IRA account.
The IRA Charitable Rollover provision allows individuals who have reached age 70½ to donate up to $100,000 to charitable organizations directly from their Individual Retirement Account (IRA), without treating the distribution as taxable income. Please note that IRA charitable rollover gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction.
The provision mandates the following:
Eligibility Age: Taxpayers age 70½ or older are required to make annual distributions from their IRAs, which are then included in their adjusted gross income (AGI) and subject to taxes. The IRA Charitable Rollover permits those taxpayers to make donations directly to charitable organizations from their IRAs without counting them as part of their AGI and, consequently, without paying taxes on them.
Directly to the Charity: Distributions must be made directly from the IRA trustee payable to the public charity. Please make your check directly to KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio.
Limit on Amount: Holders of traditional and Roth IRAs who are 70½ or older can make direct charitable transfers of up to $100,000 per year. A single person can transfer $100,000 tax-free; a married couple can transfer up to $200,000 tax-free from separate accounts.
Eligible Retirement Accounts: Distributions can only be made from traditional Individual Retirement Accounts or Roth IRAs. Charitable donations from 403(b) plans, 401(k) plans, pension plans and other retirement plans are ineligible for the tax-free treatment.
No Gifts in Return: Donors cannot receive any goods or services in return for charitable IRA rollover contributions in order to qualify for tax-free treatment.
If you have any questions, please reach out to KUOW Planned Giving Officer Sarah Freeman at 206.616.8967 or legacy@kuow.org
Life Income Gifts
We can help you design a plan that pays you or your loved ones income for life and also supports KUOW. Gift options include Charitable Gift Annuities (CGA), Charitable Lead Trusts (CLT) or Charitable Remainder Trusts.
We work directly with the University of Washington Gift Planning Office to manage and track all annuities and trusts. You can use the UW annuity calculator or download their brochure on gift annuities to learn more.
Please contact our Planned Giving Office at 206.616.8967 or legacy@kuow.org to set up a meeting or phone call to discuss designing your own life income gift.