Legacy Society Membership

Membership in the Foundation's Legacy Society begins when you

• make an estate plan gift OR
• provide a written gift intention of an estate plan gift OR
• make a gift (single or multi-year) of $10,000 or more directly to the endowment during your lifetime.
   

Members at $10,000+ will receive donor listing recognition for five years (unless anonymity is requested).

Gifts of $250,000+ can establish a named endowment fund. The named fund can support the Foundation's overall programs and activities or endow a particular program: educational, preservation or operating expenses.

Membership in the Great American Songbook Foundation Legacy Society allows you and your family to create a lasting culture of providing transformative educational opportunities and the ability to carry on the Foundation’s reputation for preserving and providing access to the Great American Songbook in perpetuity.

Explore your giving options 
 

• Life insurance change of beneficiary: You can name the Great American Songbook Foundation as the beneficiary of all or part of the proceeds from a life insurance policy while still retaining ownership. Your estate will be entitled to an offsetting charitable estate tax deduction.
   
• Life insurance change of beneficiary and ownership: If you change the beneficiary and transfer ownership of the policy to the Great American Songbook Foundation, you will receive an immediate income tax deduction and reduce your inheritance tax.
   
• 401k/403b: You can designate the Great American Songbook Foundation as the beneficiary of all or part of your retirement plan assets. That is all you need to do! You don’t have to change your will.
   
• IRA: Designating the Great American Songbook Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement IRA avoids income tax and estate tax on those retirement plan assets because the Great American Songbook Foundation is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
   
• Consider a percentage bequest by leaving a percentage of your estate or a percentage of your residuary estate in your will.
  • Make a general bequest by leaving a specified dollar amount to the Foundation in your will.
  • Make a specific bequest by designating a specific asset that you want the Foundation to receive. For example, a bequest of 1,000 shares of GE stock is a specific bequest.
  • Use a residuary bequest to give the Foundation all or a portion of your estate after all other obligations have been paid.
  • Sample will language: I give and bequeath to the Great American Songbook Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation [Tax ID #26-0620716] with principal offices located at 1 Carter Green, Carmel, IN 46032, the sum of $_____ (or ___% of any residuary estate) to be used for general charitable purposes.

Create Your Legacy

• The Great American Songbook Foundation will work with you and your financial advisor to help you choose the type of gift to best accomplish your goals.
   
• If you have already named the Foundation in your will or estate plans, thank you! Please let us know so we may include you as a member of the Legacy Society.

Questions? Please contact: Jo Garcia, Assistant Director of Individual Development, at 317.844.9454 or JGarcia@TheSongbook.org.