Supporting the Diabetes Research Institute’s quest for a cure is a caring and thoughtful act that impacts millions of people living with diabetes today as well as future generations. Our supporters contribute in many ways including annual gifts, participation in special events, gifts in honor or memory of family and friends, multi-year pledges, and gifts to special campaigns.
Many of our friends and donors also make gifts through their estate plans. Estate gifts from generous individuals like you have provided over $80 million in transformational funding for the Diabetes Research Institute. Over the years, we have received gifts of all sizes; each one is meaningful to us and truly makes a difference. Estate gifts can take many forms and can achieve a variety of goals. The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) welcomes these gifts and wants to recognize and thank our generous supporters.
How can you make a gift through your estate?
The most common way to make an estate gift is to include the gift in your will or trust. There are several ways this can be done. For example, some individuals choose to give a specific dollar amount. “I give $10,000 to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.” Others choose to designate a percentage of the estate by stating, “I give 10% of my estate to ….”. Another way is to make a contingent gift. “If my spouse does not survive me, I give 50% of my estate to …”. Some people designate the remainder of their estate to our organization after all the specific gifts to their family and friends have been distributed. So, there are multiple options to consider.
Many of our supporters simply name our organization as a beneficiary of their IRA, retirement plan or investment account. These gifts can be passed on independent of a will by completing a beneficiary or POD (payable upon death) form. Utilizing life insurance to make an impactful gift is also popular with people within a wide age range.
Achieving your goals with an estate gift
With strategic planning, you can develop an estate plan that addresses your own financial concerns and challenges while achieving a variety of goals. With an estate gift you can:
• Reduce your long-term capital gains, estate, and income taxes.
• Increase your spendable income or provide support to a family member or friend.
• Create a legacy that will allow you to play an important role in the Diabetes Research Institute’s mission to cure diabetes now and into the future.
For example, some donors who are unable to establish a fellowship fund during life are able to do so in their wills. Others want to make “one last gift” to cap a lifetime of giving. Still, others want to create a lasting legacy by establishing an endowed fund. All of these goals can be achieved through a well-worded gift in your estate.
A gift in your will can also memorialize a family member, honor a doctor or another special individual in your life or continue your lifetime legacy of giving. Some gifts can be structured to benefit your family members for a period of years followed by a gift to charity. Certain individuals make their first or largest gifts to the DRI through their estates.
Why share your plans with the DRI Foundation?
We ask that you inform us of your plans for several reasons:
• Communicating your plans to us ensures that we utilize your gift in the manner in which you intended.
• It allows us to express our gratitude and with your approval, we will recognize you as part of the Diabetes Research Institute Heritage Society and inscribe your name on a wall of honor at the Institute.
• It helps the Diabetes Research Institute plan for the future.
We would be pleased to speak with you and provide additional information about making a gift through your estate.
To learn more, please contact Jill Shapiro Miller at (954)674-3205 or at jshapiro@drif.org.
