Gifts Anyone Can Afford

Need to preserve your assets during your lifetime? You can plan a gift to us that will only take effect after your other obligations are fulfilled.

How it works:

1. Include a gift to the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra in your will or trust.
2. Make your bequest unrestricted or direct it to a specific purpose.
3. Indicate a specific amount or a percentage of the balance remaining in your estate or trust.

Benefits:

1. Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime.
2. You can modify your gift to address changing circumstances.
3. You can direct your gift to a particular purpose (confirm this gift can be used as intended).
4. Under current tax law, there is no upper limit on the estate tax deduction for your charitable bequests.

Sample Gift Language (PDF)

Sample Codicil (Word Document)

Give us assets subject to double taxation, and leave more to your family. Learn more about Gifts from a Retirement Plan.

How it works:

1. Name the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or other qualified retirement plan.
2. Pass the balance of your retirement assets to the LSO by contacting your plan administrator.
3. IMPORTANT! Tell the LSO about your gift! You plan administrator is not obligated to notify us. Let us know so we may thank you by including you in the LSO Legacy Society.

Benefits:

1. Continue to take regular lifetime withdrawals.
2. Maintain flexibility to change beneficiaries if your family's needs change during your lifetime.
3. Your heirs avoid the potential double taxation on the assets left in your retirement account.

Make an outright gift from your donor-advised fund OR name us as the ultimate beneficiary of the remainder in the fund. Learn more about Gifts from your Donor-Advised Funds.

How it works:

1. Name the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra as a beneficiary of your donor-advised fund.
2. Designate us to receive all or a portion of the balance of your fund through your fund administrator (you can also make a grant to us at any time from your donor-advised fund).
3. The balance in your fund passes to the LSO when the fund terminates.

Benefits:

1. You can direct your gift to a particular purpose (confirm your gift can be used as intended).
2. Maintain flexibility to change beneficiaries if your needs change during your lifetime.

Take advantage of appreciated securities without incurring capital gains tax. Learn More about Gifts of Stock and Appreciated Securities.

How it works:

1. You transfer appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares you have owned for more than one year to the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.
2. The LSO sells your securities and uses the proceeds for our programs.

Benefits:

1. You receive an immediate income tax deduction for the fair market value of the securities on the date of transfer (even if you originally paid much less for them).
2. You pay no capital gains tax on the transfer when the stock is sold.
3. Giving appreciated stock can be more beneficial than giving cash. The "cost" of your gift is often less than the deduction you gain by making it.

Make a significant gift to the LSO even without a large estate. Here's how you can leverage your dollars for a larger gift.

Gifts of Life Insurance - How it works:

1. Your transfer ownership of a paid-up life insurance policy to the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.
2. The LSO elects to cash in the policy now or hold it.

Benefits:

1. Make a gift using an asset that you and your family no longer need.
2. Receive an income tax deduction equal to the cash surrender value of the policy.
3. You may be able to use the cash value of your policy to fund a gift that delivers income, such as a deferred gift annuity.

Gifts of Real Estate/Personal Property - How it works:

1. You transfer a valuable painting, antique, or qualifying other personal property to the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.
2. The LSO may hold and display the property or use it in the furtherance of its mission.
3. The LSO may sell the property at some point in the future and use the proceeds for its mission.

Benefits:

1. You receive an immediate income tax deduction for the appraised value of your gift and pay no capital gains tax, so long as the gift can be used by the LSO to carry out its mission.
2. In certain cases, you can use personal property to fund a life-income gift that provides you and/or other loved ones with an income now and benefits the LSO in the future.
3. Without using cash, you can make a gift that is immediately beneficial to the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.