Including WEC in your estate plan

There are times in our life when we pause and reflect on what we have achieved and what we hope to accomplish. We consider how we are writing our life story in a way that embodies our values in word and deed. Building on your legacy to include an estate gift to Washington English Center ensures that our essential programs will be available for future generations of immigrants in our community. These gifts:

      • Cost you nothing now
      • Preserve your options—you can change your beneficiaries at any time
      • Enable you to make gifts to loved ones and provide for WEC
      • Allow you to remain anonymous, should you choose to do so
      • Ensure your lasting legacy
Image

A Gift in a Will or Trust
Leaving a gift in your will or trust is a time-honored way of ensuring that your support of WEC continues for generations to come.

To leave the majority of funds to your loved ones, name WEC the beneficiary of a specific amount or percentage of your estate.

To leave WEC what’s left after loved ones are provided for, use a residuary bequest. WEC will be second in line after all costs and bequests to others have been satisfied.

To leave your estate to family and friends, unless you outlive one of your beneficiaries, use a contingent bequest. If you outlive one of your beneficiaries, then the bequest specified for that person will go to WEC.

A Gift of Retirement Plan Assets
Retirement funds left to those other than a spouse are on the most heavily taxed of all assets. Income taxes and, possibly, federal or state estate taxes may be due. That’s why retirement plan funds are a popular option for leaving a gift to WEC.

As with the bequests described above, you can name WEC to receive a percentage of retirement assets with the majority going to a spouse or other family member—or, you can name WEC as a contingent beneficiary in the event that you outlive a beneficiary.

A Gift of Life Insurance
Many of us have life insurance policies that have long since served their purpose. Perhaps you purchased a policy to account for your children’s needs, but now the kids are on their own and doing well. Or, you have a policy purchased that you simply no longer need.

These policies can make a wonderful gift to WEC. As with bequests and retirement assets, you can name WEC a full, partial, or contingent beneficiary based on your personal circumstances.

Image
Image

A Gift of Certificates of Deposit, Bank or Brokerage Accounts
Certificates of deposit, as well as bank and brokerage accounts, transfer by simple beneficiary forms—in this case referred to as “pay on death" (POD) or “transfer on death" (TOD) designations. You can ask your bank for this easy-to-complete form.

A Gift of Contributions Remaining in a Donor Advised Fund
Since donations in a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) are already earmarked for charity, we hope you will consider naming WEC the beneficiary of your account. Or, you can name us to receive a portion of the account value, dividing the remainder among a group of charities or leaving the remainder for your children or grandchildren to continue your philanthropic legacy.

Here's how!

To leave a gift via a bequest or beneficiary designation form, you can use this suggested language:

For a bequest:
I give [xx% of my estate // or $xx // or description of asset] to Washington English Center, a District of Columbia nonprofit corporation. Its Tax ID number is 52-2106206.

For beneficiary designation forms:
Washington English Center, Tax ID 52-2106206.


We're here to help.
In addition to conferring with your advisors, please feel free to contact us to discuss achieving your philanthropic goals. If you have questions, please contact Phillip Carlisle, Director of Development, at pcarlisle@washingtonenglish.org or (202) 800-4683.

WEC's Legacy Society

Certain individuals have made a pledge to support WEC beyond their lifetimes and to further develop a legacy for themselves and their families in support of the immigrants we serve. Members of WEC's Legacy Society belong to a distinguished community of like-minded philanthropists who are committed to improving the lives of immigrants through education.

If you would like to join this group and add your name to the roster below, please contact WEC's Development Director, Phillip Carlisle (pcarlisle@washingtonenglish.org or (202) 800-4683) for more information. If you have already included WEC in your estate plans but have not yet informed us, please contact us—we would like to thank you and include you among your peers in the Legacy Society.

Legacy Society members include:

Brad Fresia and Allister D'Souza

Joan M. Kerrigan

Amy Lillis

Tamera Luzzatto

Linda Rubenstein

Dian and Steve Seidel

Liz and Patrick Tisdale

Bess Touma

Many thanks to these individuals for naming Washington English Center in their estate plans!

Giving spotlight

Image

Joan's grandfather was an immigrant whose schooling ended when he arrived in the U.S. and went to work at age 14. Although he achieved success in business, he keenly felt the lack of formal education. He passed on to his heirs an abiding commitment to helping others climb the educational ladder.

First, Joan became a WEC volunteer teacher and donor. Then, she encouraged her family to give, as well. Today, Joan, her two adult children, and her sister all donate to WEC in different ways. Joan and her sister have donated appreciated shares of stock. Joan's son doubles the value of his donation through his company's matching gift program, and her daughter contributes to Giving Tuesday. Joan is also a member of the Legacy Society—providing for WEC in her will.