Honor Those Who Serve
Leave a Legacy Through Planned Giving
We are deeply grateful to all our donors — it is through your generosity that we are able to continue saving and caring for military pets. Your legacy gift will make a lasting difference for the brave men and women who sacrifice so much for our freedom. To date, we’ve helped more than 2,600 military families, and with your support, we can help so many more.
We recommend consulting an attorney or financial planner when preparing legal documents. Below are examples of how you can make a meaningful impact when distributing your assets:
Fixed Monetary Bequest: I give Helping Paws Foundation (EIN 47-5232344), located at 969 Vale Terrace Drive, Suite D, Vista, CA 92084, $__________.
Percentage of Your Estate: I give Helping Paws Foundation (EIN 47-5232344), located at 969 Vale Terrace Drive, Suite D, Vista, CA 92084, __% of my estate.
Residual Bequest: I give all the rest of my estate, including real and personal property, to Helping Paws Foundation (EIN 47-5232344), located at 969 Vale Terrace Drive, Suite D, Vista, CA 92084.
Other Ways to Leave a Legacy
You can also support Helping Paws Foundation without writing a check. Consider these often overlooked giving options that can align with your charitable goals and create a meaningful impact:
Bank and Brokerage Accounts
You can name one or more individuals or charities as beneficiaries of your financial accounts. Depending on the account type, this is known as:
- Payable on Death (POD): Applies to bank accounts — checking, savings, and CDs.
- Transfer on Death (TOD): Applies to brokerage or investment accounts.
Please consult your bank representative or investment advisor if you are considering these gifts. You may designate a specific percentage of an account rather than the full balance. The beneficiary has no rights to the funds during your lifetime, so you remain free to use, modify, or close the account at any time.
Life Insurance
As your need for life insurance may decrease over time, it can become a powerful and flexible giving option. There are two primary ways to use life insurance to support Helping Paws Foundation:
- Name Helping Paws Foundation as the beneficiary (or co-beneficiary) of an existing policy. After your lifetime, the proceeds support our mission.
- Make Helping Paws Foundation the owner and beneficiary of an unneeded policy — which may also provide tax advantages for you, with funds becoming immediately available for our use.
Stocks
If you own appreciated stock that you’ve held for at least one year, donating it to Helping Paws Foundation can offer significant tax benefits. You’ll receive the same income tax deduction (if you itemize) as a cash gift, and you’ll avoid capital gains taxes on the transfer — which can be as high as 20%.
Your Will
You can draft a simple will for free at FreeWill.com — it becomes legally valid once notarized. FreeWill also allows you to designate charities of your choice, including Helping Paws Foundation, as beneficiaries.
Once you’ve added Helping Paws Foundation to your legacy plan, please let us know so we can thank you personally. For more information about legacy giving, contact us at kdanker@helpingpawssandiego.org.
