What is Planned Giving?

Planned giving is a method of charitable giving that typically involves your financial and estate planning; and it’s for everyone and not just the wealthy.  Planned giving allows you to give from your assetsand not just from your income.  Planned giving allows you to make larger gifts than you ever dreamed possible and in ways you may never have thought of.  The result is that you can express the deep and profound love you have for the Church and St. Catherine’s Parish.

Characteristics of Planned Gifts

Planned gifts have common characteristics:

• Usually, they involve financial and estate planning because they are larger and more complex.
• They are made more from assets other than from income; so much more of your total financial picture becomes available for giving.
• Planned gifts can be for any purpose, whether current use, capital purposes, endowment or even current operating funds.
• Planned gifts are future-oriented for both you and the Parish. That means that you typically would focus on longer-term needs and opportunities for service and that focus can be very helpful to the Parish.
• Personal values are very important in making a gift. People will make planned gifts when their values align very powerfully with the Church’s; they sense the importance of what the Church and the Parish have done for them and their families and what it could do for others in the future.

Assets Used in Planned Giving

You can make a planned gift with a variety of assets.  Being able to give assets besides cash opens up a great deal of opportunity.  Here are some of the types of assets you can use to make gifts:

• Cash
• Stocks and bonds
• Real estate
• Closely-held stock
• Life Insurance
• Retirement plans
• Tangible personal property

Types of Planned Gifts

Some ways that you can make a planned gift include:

• Outright gift (the Parish gets the property immediately)
• Bequests through your will
• Charitable remainder trust
• Charitable gift annuity
• Pooled income fund
• Charitable lead trust
• Bargain sale

Financial Benefits of Planned Gifts

Financially, planned gifts can be very beneficial for donors. By making a planned gift, you can:

• Increase your current income
• Bypass (or even eliminate entirely) capital gains taxes
• Increase your current income tax deductions
• Increase estate and gift tax deductions
• Conserve estate assets – even pass on a larger estate to your heirs

You can obtain these benefits

• Without compromising your financial security
• Without disinheriting your heirs

The Catholic Legacy Society was established to recognize and thank donors who make known to us that they have included their parish, the Archdiocese, its schools or ministries in their estate plans.

For more information about planned gifts, click on the Catholic Legacy Society logo, or call or email

Bob Calarese
Parish Business Manager
781-762-6080
[email protected]