Explore Planned Giving Opportunities

Many of our supporters make charitable gifts by naming the Broward Public Library Foundation as a beneficiary in their wills. Your will can include gifts in the form of property (cash, securities, etc.), a percentage of your estate, and/or the residue of your estate (property remaining after other bequests have been fulfilled).

The legal designation for the Broward Public Library Foundation in wills and trusts is 'Broward Public Library Foundation, Inc. (BPLF), Fort Lauderdale, Florida'.

If you wish to memorialize a family member, close friend, or your own life, the creation of an endowment fund is a great way to do this. An endowment fund is a sum of money which is invested and managed by the Library Foundation. Each year, the accrued earnings made from this investment can be used in support of a designated purpose. As the creator of the fund, you would have the opportunity to set specific or loose guidelines for use of these dollars, including restricting use to specific library locations or programming. The flexibility of this type of planned giving provides effectively guides the impact and memorial you wish to create.

A minimum of $20,000 is required to form an endowment fund. This minimum value does not need to be met by a singular donation. It may be attained through multiple donations over time from a multitude of donors. Allowing the opportunity for many individuals to contribute towards this legacy gift.

Donations made in support of the fund are tax-deductible and all donors will receive an acknowledgment letter from the Library Foundation. 

Endowment funds are managed through the Library Foundation’s investment partner, Northern Trust.

The Broward Public Library Foundation offers charitable gift annuities, a program that provides participants with the ability to increase their income, realize an immediate tax benefit and help the Library Foundation provide funds for needed programs and materials throughout the Broward County Library system.

With a minimum investment of $5,000, you receive a lifetime return on the investment that tends to be higher than the interest currently being paid by financial institutions. In addition, you not only receive a charitable deduction that helps you reduce your income tax liability, but a portion of the quarterly payments you receive each year is also tax-free.

Charitable gift annuities offer significant savings opportunities when appreciated securities are used to purchase the annuity instead of cash.

Some of our supporters no longer need their life insurance that was purchased years ago to provide for children or other family members and choose to donate the policy to the Broward Public Library Foundation. Life insurance provides several effective ways to benefit the Library Foundation. Your gift will provide the Library Foundation with a substantial deferred gift while you pay relatively modest premium payments. In some instances, leaving a cash gift to the Library Foundation and an equal gift of life insurance to family members who are named as beneficiaries may enable one to leave more of an inheritance.

Individuals can use a charitable lead trust to benefit the Broward Public Library Foundation. Based upon the circumstances, lead trusts can pass assets to family members at reduced estate and gift tax costs.

Your IRA assets can be transferred to a charitable remainder trust and the trust will provide life income to the beneficiary with an eventual gift to the Broward Public Library Foundation. You may also name the Broward Public Library Foundation as a beneficiary of a portion or all of your IRA or other retirement funds. If you wish to consider this type of gift, please contact the administrator or person in charge of your IRA.

Gifts of equities and securities can provide attractive tax benefits. Property that you gift that has increased in value and that you have held long enough to qualify as the long-term property may enable you to avoid capital gain taxes.

A life income gift enables you to irrevocably transfer some assets to the Broward Public Library Foundation now, and in return, you (and a survivor, if you desire) receive income for life.

A variety of trust arrangements are available that can provide income for your life or provide the Library Foundation with income during your life. In some instances, you can place money in a qualifying trust, which will provide income to you (and your spouse) for life. The remaining principal is paid to the Library Foundation upon your death or on a specified date.

These trusts, generally described as charitable remainder trusts, assure you of income while providing an immediate charitable deduction to you that can be taken to reduce your taxes.