Creating a charitable legacy is one of the most lasting and powerful actions you can take. The Denver Foundation offers a wide range of planned giving options that allow you to create a highly personalized legacy. We can help you fulfill your vision with options such as a donor-advised fund for your family, giving the gift of philanthropy to your heirs, custom scholarships, or a fund that supports your specific impact priorities. Hundreds of individuals and families just like you have taken this step, and we are proud to be their partner.
More information and examples of donors we’ve worked with can be found in the Leaving a Legacy brochure.
Do you have questions about planned giving or estate gifts? Our experts are here to help! Please contact Rachel Spory-Leek at information@denverfoundation.org or 303.300.1790.
Community Legacy Society
When you make an estate gift to The Denver Foundation, you become a part of the Community Legacy Society, the foundation’s group honoring people who have taken the extraordinary step of including us in your estate plans.
As a member, you will have the opportunity to:
- Participate in informational and engaging events about issues in our community.
- Connect with other people who are philanthropically inclined.
- Be recognized for your generous gift or exercise the option to remain anonymous, if you prefer.
- Rest easy, knowing that your gift will be thoughtfully stewarded and have its intended impact.
Bequests
The simplest way to leave a planned gift is to make a bequest by including specific language in your will or living trust naming the foundation (or your fund) as the recipient of a testamentary gift. The Denver Foundation has experience managing a wide range of estate assets, and we are happy to provide sample language to include in your will or trust.
Retirement Plan Donations
Naming The Denver Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement funds, such as an IRA, 401(k), or 403(b), is a simple and effective way to benefit the community while avoiding significant, often unanticipated, tax penalties. The IRA qualified charitable distribution allows people age 70½ or older to direct up to $100,000 of their required minimum distribution from an IRA to a qualified charity without counting the distribution as taxable income. IRA qualified charitable distributions can be gifted directly to your favorite charity or used to create a perpetual endowment through a designated or field of interest fund.
- To notify The Denver Foundation of a qualified charitable distribution from an IRA, please use this form.
- To request a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA plan administrator, please use this form.
Life Insurance Donations
Among the many ways to donate life insurance, the simplest is to designate The Denver Foundation as a beneficiary of the policy. You may also transfer ownership of a paid-up policy to the foundation, donate insurance policy dividends, or choose to name the foundation as a designated owner and beneficiary.
Trusts and Other Giving Vehicles
Our experts are here to answer your questions about charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, or other giving vehicles.
Scholarship Fund
A scholarship fund offers you the opportunity to make education more accessible to students in our community. Choose a school, population, or other focus area to build the selection criteria for your scholarship and see the impact it creates. The Denver Foundation will walk you through the process to ensure the program meets your philanthropic intent. Learn more about opening a Scholarship Fund.