Have you already included a gift to Gulf Coast Humane Society in your will or trust? Please fill out the form below to let us know! We would love to thank you for your generosity.

It is important to check with your legal and financial advisors to ensure your plans benefit both the people and causes you care about in the most strategic way possible.

You can make a gift through your will or trust to suit your goals, including a specific gift and a contingent gift.

Specific gift — You describe exactly what kind of gift you want to leave to a specific individual or organization and the designated source. If you want to leave a specific dollar amount from a specific source or a particular item, this is the type of bequest you would use. Here's an example: Jean states in her will: "I leave my stamp collection to my grandson, Greg. I leave my beach house to my daughter, Maria. I leave my securities to Gulf Coast Humane Society, Corpus Christi, TX."

Contingent gift — This type of bequest is fulfilled if certain conditions are met. For instance, if your primary beneficiary does not survive you, you can indicate your next choice through a contingent bequest. Here's an example: Robert states in his will: "I give all the rest, residue, and remainder of my real and personal estate to my wife, Susan, if she survives me; if not, then I give 50% in equal shares to my children who survive me and 50% to Gulf Coast Humane Society, Corpus Christi, TX."

For your convenience, we've provided some suggested language below that you could use in your will or trust. Please feel free to adapt this language with your attorney to fit your individual situation.

A gift from your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), pension, or other tax-deferred plan is an excellent way to help the animals for years to come.

If you're like many people, you probably will not use all your retirement assets during your lifetime. One of the most flexible and inexpensive ways you can make a difference for the animals is by designating Gulf Coast Humane Society as a beneficiary of your financial accounts.

Your pensions, retirement plans, or other financial accounts can be a practical way to help companion animals in need and can even save you at tax time. Typically, retirement plan balances are subject to both income and estate taxes. But because Gulf Coast Humane Society is a nonprofit organization, we won't pay income tax on the distribution, nor will the gift be subject to estate tax. Your retirement assets may be transferred to Gulf Coast Humane Society by completing a beneficiary designation form provided by your plan custodian.

Making a beneficiary designation — Check with your legal and financial advisors to ensure your plans benefit both the people and causes you care about most strategically. You have a variety of options for giving to the animals. You can add Gulf Coast Humane Society as a beneficiary of any percent or amount you choose through a simple beneficiary designation form. Another approach is to name Gulf Coast Humane Society as a secondary or contingent beneficiary in case someone you're providing for can't claim their portion.

Do you have an IRA, 401(k), life-insurance policy, or any other assets not included in your will? If so, these are called non-probate assets, and you must plan your beneficiaries for them separately.

You may name Gulf Coast Humane Society as a full, partial, or contingent beneficiary of any policy. Don't forget employer-sponsored life insurance.

You may donate outright a life insurance policy that is no longer needed. Gulf Coast Humane Society could either hold or surrender the policy to receive the current cash value. You may donate a policy that is paid up or one with ongoing premium payments. Contact your insurance carrier to request a beneficiary form.

For example, Art bought a life insurance policy years ago that he now wants to donate to Gulf Coast Humane Society. Since he gave the policy to us, Art can claim an income tax charitable deduction. The total amount of the policy is removed from his estate, and we will use the gift to help pets in need through Gulf Coast Humane Society programs and services.

Ask your insurance provider for more details, or consult your legal or financial advisor to help you decide which option is best for you.

This is a creative way to help you meet your financial and charitable goals while also helping the animals for years ahead.

When you make a charitable gift annuity, you can realize tax savings, secure your retirement by receiving reliable annual income, and support the future of Gulf Coast Humane Society and the animals.

To set up a charitable gift annuity with Gulf Coast Humane Society, you may donate cash, appreciated securities, or funds from your IRA.

In return, you receive an income tax deduction and a steady stream of income for life for you or someone you designate. This way of giving will also help you save on capital gains taxes for gifts of appreciated securities.

A charitable individual retirement account (IRA) rollover is a wonderful option for people 70½ and older. That's because it allows you to make a gift to the animals — from $100 to $100,000 — without the distribution counting as taxable income.

This giving option is a direct contribution made from your traditional or Roth IRA to a public charity like Gulf Coast Humane Society, and it is a great option if you don't normally itemize your charitable deductions.

Please discuss with your tax adviser or other financial professionals whether an IRA charitable rollover could benefit you.

Here are some key features of a qualified charitable distribution:

• You must be at least 70½ years old.
• You may transfer up to $100,000 per year directly from your traditional or Roth IRA to Gulf Coast Humane Society or other qualified charitable organizations.
• Married couples can each gift up to $100,000 per year from their IRA if they each meet the requirements above.
• You may not receive any goods or services in return for your IRA rollover gift.
• New legislation effective in 2023 makes it possible to use qualified charitable distributions to fund life-income gifts like charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts.

Please notify us when you request an IRA charitable rollover gift so that your gift can be matched to you when it arrives. It is helpful to let us know the financial institution that will be issuing the check and the contribution amount. Many financial institutions do not include the donor name on the check.

Consult with your tax adviser or other financial professional to determine whether an IRA charitable rollover could benefit you. In addition, please feel free to contact our Director of Marketing & Development, Jackie McCollough, at (361) 225-0845 Ext. 104 or jmccollough@gchscc.org.

Making a gift of appreciated stock, bonds, or mutual funds is easy with the help of your tax or financial professional.

As always, we recommend you consult your tax or financial professional before making charitable donations. The first step in making a gift of this type is to provide your broker with the following transfer information:

• Brokerage Firm Name: UBS
• DTC Number: 0221
• Stock Account Name: Gulf Coast Humane Society
• Stock Account Number: 3A25091

When you make a gift to Gulf Coast Humane Society by transferring stocks into our account, we do not receive any information that identifies you as the donor. To ensure that you receive a proper tax acknowledgment of your gift, please email our Director of Marketing & Development, Jackie McCollough, at jmccollough@gchscc.org.