Planned Giving

The ultimate question for the human family has to do not with personal immortality but with the immortality of values and meaningful life for all in the future.

- Norman Cousins Editor-in-Chief, Saturday Review 1942-1972

Wills, trusts, life insurance policies, and other estate-planning vehicles can offer special ways to leave a lasting legacy to the causes that mean the most to you.

The work of Citizens for Global Solutions is supported by the dedication and generosity of its members. You can perpetuate your support of Citizens for Global Solutions after your lifetime through a deferred gift and thereby become a member of our Norman Cousins Club, an honor role of those who have made deferred gifts to Citizens for Global Solutions.

It is often the case that members who contribute faithfully each year also want to arrange for a larger contribution at the time of their death by establishing a planned gift.  Such an act of charity can be done simply and easily by leaving a legacy for Citizens for Global Solutions in your will.  In many cases, this can be done through specific mention of CGS when you draw up your will, or by adding a simple amendment - a "Codicil" - to your existing will.

Benefits of a bequest are that it is simple and it can reduce the tax burden on your estate. The cost of the bequest to your heirs may well be substantially lower than its dollar amount because any such bequest is fully deductible from the donor's estate.

Charitable Annuity Trusts

Another popular way to leave a lasting legacy is through charitable annuity trusts, sometimes called charitable gift annuities. A charitable annuity trust allows you to make a donation to Citizens for Global Solutions Education Fund and then receive a fixed return on the amount of the donation for the rest of your life. The rates of return paid are fixed at the time of the establishment of the trust and depend upon your age at the time of the donation. For example, if you established a charitable annuity trust in 2010 at the age of 80, the return would be at an annual rate of 7.2%.

For more information on how to include Citizens for Global Solutions in your estate planning, you should speak with your financial planner. To obtain more information about making deferred gifts to Citizens for Global Solutions or Citizens Global Solutions Education Fund, please contact Lesa Thomas, Development Coordinator at 202-546-3749 (extension 115).