Giving

Your Legacy, Our Future

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Legacy For Life Legacy Society
When you include Houston Humane Society in your estate plan, you provide life-saving care and relief for the animals of Houston. Your legacy gift will ensure that Houston Humane Society can continue to impact those we serve for years to come. Think of it as “endowing” your current annual gift!
 
Start Planning Your Legacy
There are several ways you can leave a legacy gift
  • Charitable Bequest – Designate Houston Humane Society as a beneficiary in your will or Trust. Leave a specific amount, percentage, or property to ensure a lasting impact. Contact your attorney for more information.
  • IRA Charitable Distributions – Designate Houston Humane Society as a beneficiary of your retirement account or make gifts from the account now. IRS rules allow charitable distributions in place of required minimum distributions for those 70 ½ years old or older. These donations from your account fulfill your distribution requirement, but incur NO tax! Contact your IRA institution for more information.
  • Appreciated Stock – one of the best ways to benefit Houston Humane Society, and to save on taxes at the same time, is to donate highly-appreciated stock. If you are a “buy and hold” investor, you probably have seen some great gains. With the stock market testing record highs, those gains also come with a capital gains tax. Making your gift through a stock transfer avoids that tax! Instead of selling the stock, paying the tax, and then donating the remainder, just transfer a number of shares directly to Houston Humane Society, and you get a tax deduction for the full current value, PLUS avoid the capital gains tax!
  • Insurance Gifts – you can also name Houston Humane Society as the beneficiary of your insurance policy. Or name us as the “contingent” beneficiary, which means if your other family beneficiaries aren’t around, you’d like it to come to us. This can be for an existing policy, or for a new policy. In fact, some donors set up a new policy to “insure” their annual gift continues after they are gone. 
 
How to Become a Member
1. Contact Us – We are here to assist you in leaving a meaningful legacy gift. Please contact our Development Director at dortiz@houstonhumane.org or 713-341-3334.
2. Submit the Planned Gift Intention Form – Notify us of your gift and enroll in our Legacy For Life circle. Please request this form by emailing dortiz@houstonhumane.org or plannedgiving@houstonhumane.org.
3. Let Us Know! – If Houston Humane Society is already included in your planned giving, please let us know. You can just email or call: plannedgiving@houstonhumane.org or donations@houstonhumane.org or 713-341-3334.
 
 
Guardian Angels Program
We understand that pets are not merely animal companions, but are members of your family. When creating a will, your pet(s) should also be considered and included. Houston Humane Society’s Guardian Angels Program provides your precious pet a place to stay until they are adopted to a new loving family.
 
How to Enroll
  • Become a member of our Legacy For Life circle. (See above for instructions)
  • Submit the Guardian Angel Program form
  • Submit the Pet Profile form – Allow us to learn from you about your pet so we can better properly care for and match them with the most suitable home.
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